Families of Hostages Blame Netanyahu for Blocking Deal

Families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the "one obstacle" to their release and to reaching a peace deal, BBC reported.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum wrote on social media that last week’s Israeli strike on Qatar showed "every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it". Hamas said the strike killed five of its members and a Qatari security official in Doha.

Netanyahu defended the operation, saying eliminating Hamas leaders in Qatar would remove "the main obstacle" to freeing hostages and ending the war. He also accused Hamas of dragging out ceasefire efforts to prolong the conflict.

Families, however, dismissed his explanation as "another excuse for failing" to bring their loved ones home. "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, adding that his "stalling" has already cost 42 lives and endangered many more.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel for talks with Netanyahu, saying President Donald Trump was "not happy" with the Qatar strike but stressed that U.S.-Israel relations remain strong. Qatar, a key U.S. ally, condemned the attack as "cowardly" and a violation of international law.

On the ground, Israel has intensified airstrikes in Gaza City, destroying residential blocks and warning civilians to evacuate ahead of a major ground offensive. The UN has warned that escalation in an area already facing famine will push people into an "even deeper catastrophe".

The war began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, at least 64,605 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since then.