PM: Release of hostages ‘at the forefront of my mind together with combined objectives of military pressure’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a video statement that he is “making all the efforts” to return the hostages alongside the aim of applying military pressure on Hamas.

While exiting the military’s Kirya headquarters in Tel Aviv this evening, Netanyahu says, “I’m leaving from here to meet with the US ambassador. We are making all the efforts, including throughout today, to bring the release of our hostages and to achieve the goals of our war.”

“We are not giving up on anyone,” he adds.

Asked to respond to reports that the hostage issue is not a primary concern of the premier or his government, Netanyahu replies that, “I stopped my trial today” in order to “take two hours this afternoon to speak with [US special envoy to the Mideast Steve] Witkoff in Doha — because I asked to send a delegation to Doha in order to try and progress the release of our hostages.”

“So they are at the forefront of my mind, they are there, together with the combined objectives of military pressure,” he continues.

“And also on all of these things I spoke continuously about today at the Kirya. That’s what we’re doing, hours upon hours, and now I am going, like I said, to continue the job, in Jerusalem,” says the premier.