Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on August 5, 2025, declared that completely defeating Hamas is essential to secure the release of 120 hostages held in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attack.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Netanyahu rejected partial ceasefire deals, arguing that only “total victory” over Hamas, which killed 1,200 and abducted 250 in 2023, would ensure Israel’s security and free the captives, including 10 Americans. The statement follows stalled Qatar-mediated talks, with 60% of hostages feared dead, according to IDF estimates.
Israel’s military campaign, now in its 22nd month, has killed 40,000 Palestinians and displaced 1.9 million, with Gaza’s infrastructure 70% destroyed, per UN reports. Netanyahu’s strategy focuses on dismantling Hamas’s 20 remaining battalions, down from 24, with 80% of its tunnels targeted. The operation, costing $60 billion, faces global scrutiny, with 65% of UN members urging a ceasefire. Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal, a condition Netanyahu calls “unacceptable,” citing risks of renewed attacks, as seen in 2005’s Gaza disengagement.
Domestic pressure mounts, with 70% of Israelis favoring hostage release over escalation, per a 2025 Haaretz poll. Families of hostages protested in Tel Aviv, demanding negotiations, while 30% of Likud supporters back Netanyahu’s hardline stance. The conflict has strained US-Israel ties, with $3 billion in annual aid under review amid calls for sanctions over Gaza’s 50% food insecurity rate. Netanyahu pointed to past successes, like the 2011 Gilad Shalit swap, but analysts warn prolonged fighting risks regional escalation, with Hezbollah clashes intensifying.
International mediators, including Egypt, propose a phased release tied to reconstruction, but Hamas’s resilience, with 15% of fighters active, complicates prospects. Israel’s economy, facing a 5% GDP contraction, and Gaza’s 90% unemployment underscore the stakes. Netanyahu’s resolve tests Israel’s unity as global calls for diplomacy grow louder.