JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that Israel would not pay any price for the return of hostages still held in Gaza amid ongoing negotiations to secure their release.
Asked about the 134 hostages who remain in Gaza, Smotrich told Kan Radio that their return was “very important” but that they could not be released “at any cost.”
He said the way to free them was by ramping up the military pressure on Gaza and defeating Hamas, the armed group that governs the blockaded strip.
His remarks drew rebukes from opposition leader Yair Lapid and minister Benny Gantz and angered some families of hostages who have been trying to up the pressure on the government to strike a deal.
But shortly after the radio interview Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office published a statement echoing Smotrich’s position.
“There is a lot of pressure on Israel from home and abroad to stop the war before we achieve all of our goals, including a deal to release the hostages at any cost,” Netanyahu said. “We are not willing to pay any price, certainly not the delusional cost that Hamas demands of us, which would mean defeat for the state of Israel.”
The remarks came as the United States plans to send its Middle East envoy to the region for continued talks between the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar that seek to broker a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
Israel said 1,200 people were killed and 253 more were abducted into Gaza during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on its towns. Since then, Israel’s air, ground and sea offensive has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians with thousands more trapped under the rubble, according to Palestinian authorities, and laid much of the blockaded enclave to waste.
The most significant release of hostages has so far happened during the only, week-long negotiated pause in the war in November, when Hamas freed 110 Israelis and foreigners it had captured.
Netanyahu says Israel won’t ‘pay any price’ for release of Gaza hostages
https://arab.news/47zhw
Netanyahu says Israel won’t ‘pay any price’ for release of Gaza hostages
- Smotrich told Kan Radio that their return was “very important” but that they could not be released “at any cost”
- “There is a lot of pressure on Israel from home and abroad to stop the war before we achieve all of our goals,” Netanyahu said
Jordan reopens airspace and Royal Jordanian flights resume with some restrictions
- Most flights to and from Jordan back to normal but some destinations still affected by regional airspace closures amid conflict with Iran
- Services to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Damascus remain suspended until further notice; limited flights available to UAE and Aleppo
LONDON: Royal Jordanian Airlines flights resumed on Wednesday after partial restrictions were lifted and Jordan fully reopened its airspace, which had been closed following attacks by Iran that targeted several parts of the country.
Most flights to and from Jordan returned to normal but some are still affected by regional restrictions. Flights to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Damascus remain suspended until further notice as a result of airspace closures, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Royal Jordanian Airlines will operate limited flights on some other routes, including one each day to Dubai, which began on Wednesday, and a daily flight to each of Abu Dhabi and Aleppo beginning on Thursday.
The airline said it was closely monitoring regional developments and coordinating with aviation authorities, the news agency added.
In response to military attacks on Iran by the US and Israel that began on Saturday, authorities in Tehran launched a barrage of missiles and drones against several Gulf nations, including Jordan. Several countries in the region have suspended or limited flights amid the ongoing tensions, disrupting aviation and tourism.
