Protesters calling for end to Gaza war gather outside US mission in Tel Aviv
Protesters lift placards and portraits of children as they rally against the war on Gaza in front of the US Consulate in the central Israeli city of Tel Aviv
Israel ‘committed’ to returning captives, says PM Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister says he hasn’t stopped meetings on securing a deal to return the captives from Gaza, but claimed Hamas remains a “big obstacle”.
“It remains steadfast in its refusal. President Trump said it, [special envoy Steve] Witkoff said it, we say it, everyone who knows the facts, including the mediators, everyone knows it,” Netanyahu said in a post on X.
“We are not giving up. We will continue to do everything we can, one way or another. We are committed to their return.”
Last week, Netanyahu withdrew his negotiating team from Qatar, where ceasefire talks have taken place, after Hamas’s response to a Witkoff ceasefire proposal.
Earlier this month, the spokesperson of Hamas’s military wing said Israel rejected a truce agreement that would release all captives held in Gaza, and pledged the group is prepared for a lengthy war if there is no deal.
“It has become clear to us that the government of the criminal Netanyahu has no real interest in the captives because they are soldiers,” said Qassam Brigades spokesperson Abu Obeida.
