Israeli President Herzog at Independence Day ceremony: ‘We cannot celebrate with whole heart’
Israel has gone ahead with ceremonies in Jerusalem marking the country’s Independence Day, even as fires continue nearby.
President Isaac Herzog is speaking at a ceremony near his residence attended by a group of distinguished military soldiers, reports The Times of Israel. During the address, Herzog extended thanks to firefighters battling the ongoing blazes and addressed the situation of captives in Gaza.
“We cannot celebrate independence with a whole heart when our brothers and sisters are not with us,” he said in comments carried by the Israeli media. “Israel as a nation longs for them, for their freedom.”
In an earlier interview with The Times of Israel to mark the occasion, Herzog said Israel remained engaged in diplomatic efforts to free the captives.
“These are very delicate hours of negotiations, a lot of back and forth, a lot going on,” Herzog said. “I keep cautious about what I can say. All I can say is that we should do our utmost to bring them back home, and whenever needed, walk the extra mile in order to do that.”
Netanyahu says return of captives not ‘primary goal’
Netanyahu says the main objective of the war on Gaza is not to bring back the captives but to “defeat our enemies”, referring to Hamas.
“We want to bring back the remaining 59 [captives], but the ultimate goal of the war is the victory over our enemies,” Netanyahu said at an event in Jerusalem.
His comments received backlash from relatives of some of the remaining captives, including a mother named Einav Zangauker, who was quoted by local media as saying: “My goal from this moment on is to remove Netanyahu from power.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of captives held in Gaza, said in a statement that their freedom should be the government’s “top priority”.
Relatives of the captives and their supporters have repeatedly pressed Netanyahu to reach a lasting ceasefire in Gaza that ensures the release of all captives. For months, police have repeatedly dispersed crowds during mass protests calling for the captives’ immediate release.
American pro-Israel group slams Netanyahu’s comments on captives
The US-based group J Street, which supports Israel but has been a vocal critic of Netanyahu and has called for a deal to end the war and secure the release of Israeli captives, has slammed Netanyahu for stating that the return of the captives is not the primary aim of the war.
“There is no ‘victory’ with the hostages in captivity. There is no ‘victory’ when Netanyahu refuses any post-war peace and stability plan,” the group said in a social media post. “This is no ‘victory’ when this government drags its country further into a moral and strategic abyss.”
A poll done in April found that while 73 percent of US Jews held a favourable view of Israel, 53 percent said they lacked confidence in Netanyahu.
Netanyahu to hold consultations on expanding war in Gaza
The Israel Broadcasting Authority is reporting that Netanyahu will convene security officials on Friday to approve plans for an expansion of military operations in Gaza. The defence minister, chief of staff and other leaders of the security establishment will be among those attending, the report said.
