Hostage situation ‘immensely complicates’ Israeli response to deadly Hamas attack: Observers

Israeli soldiers wave their national flag as they take positions in armoured vehicles near the border with Gaza in southern Israel Hamas has threatened to execute civilian hostages if Israel continues to hit Gaza with air strikes.

“Do they give weight to the military operation? Or do they give weight to the security and safety of those who have been taken hostage?” he asked.Professor Dov Waxman, Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair on Israel Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles , said the hostage situation “immensely complicates matters” for the Israeli government, which is under pressure to both mount a major response against Hamas, and bring the hostages safely home.

Israel is no stranger to hostage situations. In 2006, Hamas’ seizure of young Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit lasted years and ultimately resulted in the release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his freedom. He added that the war is likely to escalate and last longer than previous conflicts in the region, noting that civilians in the Gaza Strip will suffer the most.

A screengrab from a social media video published on October 7, 2023 shows Noa Argamani as she is taken hostage by Palestinian militants, at an unknown location. Video obtained by Reuters/via REUTERS/File Photoon Israel's northern border with Lebanon as Israeli forces exchanged artillery and rocket fire with powerful armed group Hezbollah on Sunday.

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