Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel’s victory in its 12-day conflict with Iran had created what he described as new "opportunities", including the potential to secure the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Addressing senior security officials, Netanyahu claimed that the conclusion of hostilities with Iran had shifted the landscape in Israel’s favour. He noted that one of the key advantages emerging from this shift was an increased capacity to act on the hostage issue. He also stated that Israel remained committed to defeating Hamas and resolving the broader Gaza situation, which he said were goals that could be achieved simultaneously.
Responding to Netanyahu’s remarks, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum—the main group representing families of those captured—expressed cautious optimism.
In a late Sunday statement, the forum acknowledged the prime minister's comments, saying it marked the first time in nearly two years that the return of the hostages had been formally elevated to a top national priority.
The group urged the government to pursue a unified agreement that would secure the safe return of all 50 remaining hostages and bring an end to the war in Gaza.
“This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
According to Israeli authorities, 251 people were abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on Israel. Of those, 49 are still believed to be in Gaza, including 27 whom the Israeli military has declared deceased. Hamas also retains the remains of an Israeli soldier killed in 2014.
The forum called for the hostages’ “release, not rescue”.
The families’ forum reiterated its position that diplomatic negotiations—not military operations—remain the only viable path forward. It warned that any attempt at a forcible rescue could endanger both the hostages and Israeli personnel, stressing that the focus should be on a comprehensive political solution to secure their release.
“The only way to free them all is through a comprehensive deal and an end to the fighting, without rescue operations that endanger both the hostages and (Israeli) soldiers.”