War not for return of captives, but ‘victory over enemies’: Netanyahu

Tel Aviv: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the main objective of his war on Gaza is not the safe return of Israeli captives but “victory over our enemies”, Al Jazeera reported.

Meanwhile, a source from the Israeli military told The Times of Israel that the military's primary aim is the return of captives in contradiction to What Netanyahu said. However, the source added that the military also has the objective of destroying Hamas.

More than a week ago, Israel’s domestic intelligence chief, Ronen Bar, surfaced, accusing Netanyahu of attempting to remove him for refusing to carry out unlawful actions intended to serve Netanyahu’s personal and political interests. In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, Ronen Bar, chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, claimed Netanyahu’s effort to fire him—temporarily blocked by the court—was not due to a loss of trust over the October 2023 Hamas attack, as Netanyahu suggested, but rather stemmed from a series of events between November 2024 and February 2025.

Meanwhile, Israel pounded throughout the day on Thursday, killing 31 people. The attack continued on Friday morning, and it is reported that more people lost lives. Also, a drone struck a vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast Friday off the coast of Malta, said a statement by Codepink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement, the Associated Press reported.

The vessel belonging to the Gaza Freedom Flotilla was trying to get food and supplies to people in Gaza, said the statement.

Malta's government said 12 crew members and four civilians were on board, and no casualties were reported.

For two months, Israel has blocked any humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, throwing Gaza into what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in nearly 19 months of war.