600 Days of Hostage Crisis - Pressure to End Conflict Grows in Israel

Palestinian prisoners, released by Hamas, arrive in the city of Ramallah, West Bank on February 15, 2025. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)

As of now, 58 Israeli hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, of which about 20 are believed to be alive.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, 148 hostages have been released, either through ceasefires, military rescues or negotiated agreements between Israel, the United States and Hamas. However, 58 remain unaccounted for – a painful blow to many families and to Israel as a whole.

Although the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military operations in Gaza have severely weakened Hamas' forces and infrastructure, the possibility of rescuing the remaining hostages by military means is now considered almost impossible.

Instead, pressure is being increased to bring Hamas back to the negotiating table under the “Witkoff plan,” proposed by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.

However, differences in understanding between the parties caused the process to stall when Israel said that Hamas must release 10 hostages and implement a 60-day ceasefire, while Hamas announced that it would only accept the release of the first 5 people, a 70-day ceasefire and a commitment from the US to end the war.

After 600 days, observers in Israel believe that the only viable solution is to end the war and withdraw troops from Gaza in exchange for the return of all hostages.

The military retaliation campaign after October 7, 2023, will help Israel weaken Hamas to the point where it is unlikely to “re-establish a threat” in the near future. However, public opinion in Israel believes that the only meaningful victory at this time is to bring back all the hostages, while ensuring the country’s long-term security.

Families of victims and hostages are expected to hold rallies calling on the government to step up efforts to rescue the remaining hostages.

Earlier, on May 27, the families of the hostages in Israel sent a public letter asking Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to resign from his position as head of the hostage negotiation team, on the grounds that after 100 days, no hostages had been released.

The letter reads: "100 days, 0 hostages released — families of hostages demand Secretary Dermer resign as chief negotiator."

This is part of a series of strong reactions from the families of the hostages and the Israeli public to the Government's handling of negotiations with Hamas./.

According to VNA

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/600-ngay-khung-hoang-con-tin-ap-luc-ket-thuc-xung-dot-gia-tang-tai-israel-250203.htm