Hostage Families Blame Netanyahu for Blocking Peace Deal

News Desk

Tel Aviv/Doha: Families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the “one obstacle” preventing their return and obstructing progress toward a peace deal.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum: Bring Them Home Now said in a statement on social media that Israel’s recent strike on Qatar demonstrated that “every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it.” The group said his refusal to move forward has already cost lives.

Their comments followed an Israeli attack last week on senior Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital of Doha. Hamas said the strike killed five of its members and a Qatari security official.

On Saturday, Netanyahu defended the operation, calling it “fully justified” and arguing that removing Hamas leaders in Qatar “would rid the main obstacle” to releasing hostages and ending the war. He accused Hamas of deliberately blocking ceasefire efforts to prolong the conflict in Gaza.

But families of the captives rejected Netanyahu’s remarks, describing them as “the latest excuse for failing to bring home” their loved ones.

“The targeted operation in Qatar proved beyond any doubt that there is one obstacle to returning the 48 hostages and ending the war: Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the group said.

“The time has come to end the excuses designed to buy time so he can cling to power. His stalling has already cost the lives of 42 hostages and threatens the lives of additional hostages who are barely surviving.”

US and Qatar React

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Saturday and is expected to meet Netanyahu amid global condemnation of the strike. Before departing Washington, Rubio said President Donald Trump was “not happy” with the attack but reaffirmed that the US-Israel relationship remains “very strong.”

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/rubio-to-begin-israel-visit-amid-qatar-strike-fallout/

“Obviously we’re not happy about it, the president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next,” Rubio said, stressing that Trump’s priority remains the return of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza.

When asked if the strike would complicate Qatar’s role as a mediator, Rubio said, “They’ve been good partners on a number of fronts.” Qatar, a key US ally, hosts a major American air base in the region.

Qatar condemned the Israeli strike as “cowardly” and a “flagrant violation of international law.”

Escalation in Gaza

Meanwhile, Israeli forces intensified their assault on Gaza City with a series of heavy air strikes, demolishing apartment blocks and large concrete structures. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned all residents to evacuate immediately ahead of a potential ground offensive.

Residents said the military has been hitting schools and makeshift shelters, often giving warnings only moments before bombardments. According to the IDF, around 250,000 people have already fled south.

Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City has drawn widespread international criticism. The UN has warned that further escalation in an area already facing famine will drive civilians into “an even deeper catastrophe.”

War Toll

Israel’s campaign in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Since then, at least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Input from BBC and Dawn News websites.