DM Monitoring
GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on Israel’s policies in Gaza, rejecting calls to alter humanitarian and combat strategies despite growing concerns over civilian casualties.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Netanyahu defended the actions of Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) actions and emphasised that control of Gaza’s Philadelphi corridor remains non-negotiable.
Responding to a question by CNN’s Jeremy Diamond regarding civilian deaths in Gaza, Netanyahu reit-erated his commitment to Israel’s military objectives.
“I won’t change our humanitarian policies, vaccination policies, or combat policies,” Netanyahu said.
The report cites an internal Israeli document that details the additional demands made during negotia-tions.
These demands have sparked frustration among hostage families, who accuse the prime minister of prioritising political gain over their loved ones’ release. Hostage families’ outrage grew over the weekend when the bodies of six hostages, including Carmel Gat, Aden Yerushalmi, and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, were found in Gaza.
They were reportedly slated for release under a previous draft agreement in May.
The Hostages Families Forum said the discovery of their bodies was “a direct result of Netanyahu’s thwarting of the deals.”
Frustration with Netanyahu’s leadership has continued to mount in Israel, with protests entering their fourth consecutive day since the discovery of the hostages’ bodies. Demonstrators have gathered outside the IDF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, calling for Netanyahu to se-cure a deal and bring the hostages home. In response to the growing hostility, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum has demanded that Netanyahu stop wearing the yellow ribbon, a symbol of solidarity with the hostages, accusing him of exploiting the symbol for political gain.
