(MENAFN) Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to upsurge pressure on Hamas also threatened to “land additional and painful blows” in an attempt to get the enduring Israeli captives held in Gaza freed. Nearly 129 Israelis are believed to still be in custody, after the invasion of Palestinian armies into the Jewish colony on October 7, when more than 1,100 humans, majority of which are civilians, were murdered also over 200 were taken captive.

A short-term truce in November in 2023 witnessed 105 captives freed in trade for 240 Palestinian inmates, however, more talks postponed over Hamas’ requests for a lasting ceasefire also full retreat of Israeli forces, which Netanyahu dismissed as “delusional.” In a pre-Passover footage message on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that the absence of the captives during the holiday would “only strengthen our determination to bring them back,” clarifying that all Israeli suggestions to ensure the freeing of the captives have been “rejected outright by Hamas.”

“Instead of retreating from its extreme positions, Hamas builds on division within us. It draws encouragement from the pressures directed at the Israeli government. As a result, it only tightens its conditions for the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu proceeded, in an obvious reference to anti-government demonstrations asking for new elections also requesting that the powers do more to get to a new captive agreement. “In the coming days, we will increase the military and diplomatic pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free our hostages and achieve our victory,” he also noted.

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