Overview

• Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that rescuing hostages in Gaza is not the war's most important goal, prioritizing the destruction of Hamas instead.
• Smotrich's comments provoked widespread backlash from hostage families and Israeli politicians, with critics accusing the government of abandoning captives.
• Approximately two dozen hostages are believed to still be alive in Gaza, while over 30 bodies remain unrecovered, according to Israeli officials.
• A new ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar seeks to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis and facilitate further hostage negotiations.
• The prolonged conflict has claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives, deepened Israeli political divides, and left both sides far from a permanent resolution.