Israel’s president says ‘no victory in Gaza’ without return of hostages

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Sunday that there will be no victory in the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip without the return of Israelis held captive by Hamas.

“We are determined to win this battle, and it is clear to us beyond any doubt that there is no victory without the return of the captives - the civilians and the soldiers,” Herzog said at a memorial ceremony for Israel’s fallen soldiers.

"For many months now, the State of Israel has been at war. A war that we did not choose, but cannot avoid: to return the kidnapped, to restore security,” the Israeli president said.

“It is our duty to return all the kidnapped, to fight for their lives, to bring back the remains held in Gaza, including those from Operation Protective Edge, for burial in Israel,” he added, referring to the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 31,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and nearly 73,700 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel refuses to halt its war on Gaza until the return of more than 130 hostages held by Hamas since last October, while the Palestinian group demands an end to the Israeli offensive for any hostage deal with Tel Aviv.

"The security establishment is operating relentlessly to try and obtain every piece of information that will help us find out what has happened to the missing,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said during the same ceremony.

“This commitment - to leave no one behind - is true for the war we are fighting today and for all of Israel's wars,” he added.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi