By Zein Khalil
JERUSALEM (AA) - Israel has a “limited window of opportunity” to reach an agreement for the return of captives held in Gaza, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Tuesday.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 120 Israeli hostages in Gaza, with Hamas claiming that over 70 of them have been killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes. Israel holds at least 9,900 Palestinian prisoners.
"Israel has a limited and fleeting window of opportunity to reach a deal to return the captives," Gallant said in a speech at an official event commemorating the anniversary of the 2014 Gaza war.
“A limited window of opportunity will open before us to fulfill our moral and ethical duty to return the hostages,” he added.
The event also saw anti-government chants directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The conditions that will be created as a result of the deal will advance our national and security interests, and regarding the risks that may arise — the IDF (army) and security forces know how to overcome them,” Gallant said.
Hamas demands an end to the Israeli war on Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the freedom for displaced people to return to their homes as part of any prisoner exchange deal with Israel.
Despite nearly ten months of warfare, Israel has yet to achieve its set objectives, including retrieving the captives and dismantling Hamas' capabilities.
Daily, Hamas announces the killing and injuring of Israeli soldiers, the destruction of military vehicles throughout Gaza, occasional rocket launches into Israel, and releases videos documenting some of its operations.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 202 attack by Hamas.
More than 38,700 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 89,000 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio