Unyielding conflict persists unless captives are freed
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a stalemate has emerged in hostage negotiations, with no breakthrough in sight.
A total of 251 people have been abducted during the attack, out of which 49 remain hostages in Gaza. The hostages in the videos released by Islamic Jihad and then Hamas appear very weak and emaciated, aiming to draw a parallel with the current humanitarian situation in Gaza.
According to the official army tally, 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed. The Israeli army has been redeploying its troops in the Palestinian territory for several days.
Negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip have not led to any significant progress. Hamas has expressed willingness to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the hostages, who have been held for 667 days, but only if "humanitarian corridors" are established throughout Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu remains firm on freeing the hostages through a decisive military victory, rejecting ceasefire or negotiated release options.
The situation is dire, with recent videos showing hostages in poor health, and the Israeli hostage families criticizing the military strategy as potentially disastrous for the hostages. The United Nations Security Council is holding an urgent meeting requested by Israel to discuss the situation of the hostages as of 4 August 2025. The discussion is expected to call for the hostages’ immediate and unconditional release, in line with the High-level International Conference on the Question of Palestine.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen, with reports of famine conditions and malnutrition-related deaths among the civilian population, including children. This context adds urgency to calls for establishing humanitarian aid corridors, which Hamas conditions on the ICRC’s ability to access hostages.
The Gaza Strip is completely dependent on humanitarian aid distributed by truck or airdropped. The war, which has been ongoing for nearly 22 months, was triggered by an attack by the Islamic Hamas movement against Israel on October 7, 2023.
Amid these tensions, the Israeli army chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, has warned that the "fight will continue relentlessly" if the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip is not achieved. Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, has declared that the war must end, the Israeli government will not end it on its own accord, and it must be stopped.
The chief of staff has denounced the current campaign of false accusations regarding intentional famine as a deliberate, planned, and lying attempt to accuse the Israeli army (Tsahal) of war crimes. Lieutenant-General Zamir made a field visit to the Gaza Strip on Friday to assess the situation.
In Tel Aviv, several hundred people, some dressed in black and waving photos of their loved ones, gathered on a square symbolically renamed "Hostages Square" and now the rallying point for families of the kidnapped and protesters demanding an end to the hostilities. Einav Zangauker, the mother of a hostage, has deplored the videos and compared the situation of the hostages to a Holocaust, calling for a rally in Tel Aviv. Adam Hajaj, cousin of Rom Braslavski, a hostage featured in the video released by Islamic Jihad on Thursday, has pleaded for all actions to be taken to stop the Israeli government, achieve a ceasefire, and end the war, as there's no time left.
The League of Arab States endorsed the outcome document of the High-level International Conference on the Question of Palestine, marking a significant regional stance. The document urged Hamas’s disarmament as part of a broader political solution.
The Gaza Strip is threatened with "widespread famine," according to the UN. The war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip has resulted in at least 60,332 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas Health Ministry. The Israeli army has declared 27 of the hostages dead.
- Despite the efforts made in negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, no significant progress has been reported, with both political figures and hostage families voicing concerns.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip have led to a worsening humanitarian situation, with general-news outlets reporting famine conditions and malnutrition-related deaths among the civilian population.
