The war in Gaza has resumed after talks to extend the pause for hostage releases broke down. Israel’s warplanes pounded southern Gaza after warning residents in several towns to flee.
“With the return to fighting, we emphasize: The government of Israel is committed to achieving the war aims — freeing our hostages, eliminating Hamas and ensuring that Gaza will never again pose a threat to the residents of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said in a statement released by his office.
While a cause for the breakdown in negotiations wasn’t cited, it seems likely that Israel was tiring of Hamas’s game-playing with the hostages and was demanding that Hamas release more than ten or so prisoners at a time. Prime Minister Netanyahu was not going to allow Hamas a tactical advantage by using the hostages as a delaying tactic.
Hamas has released 94 Israeli hostages so far, but on Thursday, they only released eight. There are still more than 150 hostages being held, including 8 or 9 Americans. With pressure building on Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire, the Israelis want to destroy as much Hamas infrastructure and kill as many Hamas fighters,…
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