Thursday, we shared that the Biden administration essentially let Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu know the U.S. is abandoning our ally in its fight against Hamas:
Read: Biden Essentially Abandons Israel in Phone Call With Prime Minister Netanyahu
But on Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres took to X/Twitter to call for the unconditional release of all hostages currently held “by Hamas and other groups.”
In its speed, scale and inhumane ferocity, the war in Gaza is the deadliest of conflicts – for civilians, aid workers, journalists, health workers, and for our @UN colleagues.
We honour all those who have been killed, and pledge to remember their commitment & sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/l1J7HEzSqI
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 5, 2024
In the aftermath of the @WCKitchen tragedy, the @UN was informed by the Israeli government of its intention to allow a meaningful increase in humanitarian aid distributed in Gaza.
I sincerely hope that these intentions are effectively and quickly materialized.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 5, 2024
Six months on, the Israeli military campaign has brought relentless death & destruction to Gaza.
Lives shattered. Children dying for lack of food & water.
This is incomprehensible & entirely avoidable.
Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/mwj7mLerNc
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 5, 2024
I renew my call for the unconditional release of all hostages still held by Hamas & other groups.
I have met with many of the family members of those being held captive & even former hostages themselves.
I carry their anguish, uncertainty & deep pain with me every day. https://t.co/qgKlHucP22
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 5, 2024
Israel has offered to exchange Hamas prisoners for Israeli hostages at ratios of up to 800 Hamas prisoners for 40 Israeli citizens. The UN Human Rights Council, meanwhile, has voted to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and urging other nations not to provide arms to Israel.
Read: UN Human Rights Council Writes Sternly-Worded Letter on ‘Immediate Ceasefire,’ Ending Arms for Israel
Hamas, of course, does not agree with the Secretary-General’s sentiments. A senior official of Hamas has responded, also on X/Twitter, with a series of oddly-capitalized demands that Israel is unlikely to agree to.
Hamas Senior Official Osama Hamdan: Our Position Is That the Aggression Must End First, IDF Must Completely Withdraw from Gaza Strip Second, Displaced People Should Return to Their Homes and Reconstruction Should Begin Third, Then Complete Swap Deal Fourth #Hamas #Israel #Gaza pic.twitter.com/WJO0ZlsdML
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) April 5, 2024
Hamas still holds as many as 130 hostages six months after the October 7th, 2023, terror attacks that Hamas launched from Gaza into Israel. It is not known how many of those hostages are still alive.
Perhaps Israel’s biggest failure concerns the hostages. The release of 112 hostages and rescue of several more left 130 in Hamas’s hands. The Israeli government has announced that 34 of those are presumed dead, and it’s possible that far more have perished. Hamas claims that Israeli military operations have killed over 70 hostages. The same tunnels that hide Hamas’s fighters and leaders also hide its captives, and it is hard to target Gaza as extensively as Israel has done without inadvertently killing some of them. There is no simple answer to the hostage conundrum.
It is important to note that most of the actions the Israel Defense Forces have carried out against Hamas have been in urban terrain, which is the most difficult terrain for military operations. Military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) present the highest risk of fratricide and injuries/deaths among noncombatants, as well as being very advantageous to defenders over attackers. This has, to say the least, greatly complicated the task of liberating these hostages by force.
See Related: WATCH: The Moment Dr. Phil Became All of Us While Demolishing a Pro-Hamas Lunatic
Fetterman Does Not Budge in His Support for Israel After Biden Issues Gaza Ultimatum in Phone Call
If a ceasefire was implemented, it’s widely assumed that Hamas would use the breathing space to re-arm and re-equip.
As of this writing, there has not been any official reply from Israel to the Secretary-General’s comments.
