- JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas had
rejected a proposal for the return of half of the living hostages in Gaza by
demanding the end of the war and an Israeli military retreat from Gaza.
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- "If we capitulate to the dictates of Hamas now, all the
great achievements of the war ... will disappear," said Netanyahu in a
recorded video statement.
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- In the statement, the Israeli prime minister also dismissed
the idea that Israel could deceive Hamas into freeing all the hostages and then
resume the war, arguing that the international community would not accept such
a move, Xinhua news agency reported.
- Earlier in the day, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing
of Hamas, released a new video showing an Israeli hostage held in Gaza.
Also read: Hezbollah leader rejects disarmament demands, labels them 'gift' to Israel
- The four-minute video features Israeli hostage Elkana Bohbot
speaking on a landline phone, seemingly making a call to his family to continue
their efforts for his release.
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- "My health is not good. I am screaming for death.
Please, do this for me," he said at the end of the recording.
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- The Al-Qassam Brigades concluded the video with the message,
"They will not return except in a capacity," in reference to the
hostages.
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- It remains unclear when the video was recorded.
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- Israeli media reported that the video's release triggered
demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beersheba, and Haifa, where thousands
called on the government to secure the release of captives without delay.
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- Meanwhile, Israel's military operation has been continuing
in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that its armored forces
killed more than 40 Hamas militants in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip,
over the weekend.
