Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced a video released by Hamas which showed three Israeli women hostages purportedly speaking from captivity in Gaza as "cruel psychological propaganda" and vowed to "do everything to bring home all the kidnapped and missing people", reported AFP.
After the video was released, Netanyahu named the hostages in a statement as Yelena Trupanov, Daniel Aloni and Rimon Kirsht, who were referred to as "Zionist detainees addressing a message to Netanyahu and his government" in Hamas' 76-second video.
"I embrace you. Our hearts are with you and with all the other people abducted,” said the Israeli PM in his statement who is facing mounting domestic pressure over the hostage crisis.
In the video, one of the three women held hostage, who alone spoke in the entire video, berated Netanyahu and called for the release of hostages. She also demanded a prisoner swap with Palesitine, as per Anadolu news agency.
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The Palestinian militant group seized at least 230 hostages in the October 7 surprise attacks in which 1,400 Israelis were killed. Since then Israeli forces have been pounding the Gaza Strip which has killed over 8,000 Palestinians according to health officials in Gaza.
In his statement, Netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire in his military's action against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, asserting that "it is a time of war". In a briefing to the foreign press, Netanyahu said a ceasefire would mean surrender to Hamas, terrorism and barbarism.
"Just as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 9/11, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7th," he said while clarifying Israeli's position on ceasefire.