Netanyahu Reportedly Weighing Military Operation to Free Israeli Hostages

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a military option to free the Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, as reported by ABC on Monday, August 4th, 2025, citing an Israeli official.

Due to the lack of a diplomatic solution, Netanyahu plans to expand the military operation in Gaza amid a deadlock in negotiations with the Palestinian group, Hamas.

"Therefore, Prime Minister Netanyahu is pushing to expand military operations to release the hostages through a military solution," said the Israeli official as quoted by ABC.

Currently, there are about 20 hostages still alive being held by Hamas.

From the beginning, Hamas has been willing to release all prisoners on the condition that Israel permanently cease the war in Gaza and withdraw all its troops.

However, Israel is adamant in its refusal and only willing to engage in a temporary ceasefire, presumably aiming to take full control of Gaza.

Earlier in August, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israel and the United States were expected to take months to design a new agreement with Hamas, which demanded the opening of access for hundreds of aid trucks to Gaza as a prerequisite to continue negotiations with Israel.

On Saturday, thousands of protesters filled the streets of Tel Aviv, demanding that their government end the war and bring back the remaining hostages.

"They are on the absolute brink of death," said Ilay David, whose brother, Evyatar David, is believed to be among the Israeli hostages still detained by Hamas, to the demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv.

"In the current unimaginable condition, they may have only days left to live."

Hamas released a video over the weekend showing Evyatar David appearing severely emaciated.

The protest erupted just hours after Steve Witcoff, a special envoy for Donald Trump to the Middle East, met with the families of the remaining hostages in Israel.

Amid growing global concerns about the famine crisis in Gaza, on Friday, Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee traveled to the Middle East to inspect the distribution system of U.S.- and Israel-supported aid.

For months, humanitarian aid organizations and international agencies have warned that Gaza is facing a "critical" level of famine and that a famine disaster "will soon occur" in some areas of the Gaza Strip.

The number of deaths due to malnutrition has also been reported to rise, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, managed by Hamas.

At least 175 people, including 93 children, have died from malnutrition in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Throughout the conflict, although Israel insists that it has sent enough aid to Gaza, international aid organizations have repeatedly stated that the amount is insufficient, and the United Nations has reported malnutrition conditions within Gaza.

On October 7, 2023, Israel was targeted by unprecedented rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. Afterward, Hamas militants breached the border area, firing at military and civilian targets, and taking more than 200 people hostage.

According to Israeli authorities, about 1,200 people died in the attack. However, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant admitted in a February interview that the Israeli military killed civilians.

Israel then launched Operation Iron Sword, which included a genocide against Palestinian civilian targets and imposed a total blockade on Gaza, stopping the supply of water, electricity, fuel, food, and medicine.

The battles, interspersed with brief ceasefires, killed more than 60,400 Palestinian civilians, the majority of whom were women and children. The conflict extended to Lebanon and Yemen, triggering missile attacks between Israel and Iran.

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