Jerusakem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Saturday that he had ordered the military to intensify pressure on Hamas, after the Palestinian militant group rejected an Israeli offer for a temporary ceasefire and instead demanded an end to the war in exchange for the release of hostages.
In a late-night televised address, Netanyahu emphasized that while the ongoing war came with a heavy price, Israel had “no choice but to continue fighting for our very existence, until victory.”
In a televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to intensify pressure on Hamas after the Palestinian militant group rejected a truce proposal https://t.co/b034BNOT0Q pic.twitter.com/63V4xuKc0b
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 20, 2025
Egyptian mediators have been working to restore a ceasefire, which Israel abandoned last month after efforts to extend a temporary truce led to the release of 38 hostages. However, Hamas, responsible for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the current war, has stated that it will only release the remaining hostages if a deal is reached to end the war.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas announced that it had recovered the body of a guard killed in an Israeli airstrike this week. The guard was reportedly holding Edan Alexander, an Israeli dual national believed to be the last American citizen held alive in Gaza. Hamas claimed that Alexander’s fate was still unknown, though Netanyahu did not address Alexander in his statement.
In the aftermath of the collapse of the ceasefire, Israel has resumed airstrikes on Gaza. Palestinian health authorities reported at least 50 Palestinian casualties from Saturday’s airstrikes.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned in March that securing Alexander’s release, a 21-year-old New Jersey native serving in the Israeli army, was a “top priority”. Talks between Hamas leaders and U.S. negotiator Adam Boehler last month centered on this matter. However, Hamas reported on Tuesday that they had lost contact with the militants holding Alexander after their location was struck in an Israeli attack.
As of now, 59 hostages remain held in Gaza, with fewer than half believed to still be alive. A U.S. State Department spokesperson reiterated that Hamas must release all remaining hostages and emphasized that the militant group is “solely responsible for the war and the resumption of hostilities.”
Israel implemented a total blockade on Gaza in March and restarted its assault on March 18 after talks to extend the ceasefire failed. Hamas has insisted it will free the remaining hostages only if an agreement is reached to end the war permanently, while Israel insists it will only agree to a temporary ceasefire.
Since the resumption of attacks, Israel has captured large portions of Gaza and ordered the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents, sparking fears among Palestinians of permanent depopulation. According to the Gaza health ministry, 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in the last month alone.
Palestinian health officials have reported an escalation in Israeli strikes across Gaza, with at least 92 people killed in the past 48 hours, 50 of them on Saturday. On Friday, the Israeli military claimed to have hit 40 targets across Gaza in a single day. On Saturday, Israel confirmed the death of a 35-year-old soldier during combat in Gaza.
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Regarding U.S.-Iran talks, late Thursday, Hamas’ Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya indicated that the group was willing to swap all remaining 59 hostages for Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, in exchange for an end to the war and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. He dismissed Israel’s conditions, including the demand that Hamas disarm, as “impossible”.
In Netanyahu’s address, he reiterated his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as tensions continue between the U.S. and Iran regarding a potential nuclear deal.
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On Saturday, Hamas released a video of Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot, showing him pleading for his release. Israeli officials dismissed the video as propaganda. Bohbot’s family expressed deep concern for his well-being, urging for the immediate release of all remaining hostages.
The war, which began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in the deaths of over 51,000 Palestinians according to local health authorities, with more than 1,200 people killed in Israel during the initial assault.
