After a meeting with top advisers to discuss the hostages in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that the “one major obstacle” in negotiations for a hostage release deal is that Hamas “remains obstinate.”
“Since the delegation returned from Qatar, we haven’t stopped trying. But there is one major obstacle, and everyone knows it — Hamas. It remains obstinate in its refusal,” says the premier in a video message from his office.
“[United States] President Trump said it, [US special envoy Steve] Witkoff said it, we’re saying it — everyone who knows the facts, including the mediators, knows it,” he continues.
“We are not letting up. We will continue to do everything we can — by one path or another. We are committed to bringing them home,” he concludes.
Netanyahu met with government hostage point man Gal Hirsch, political adviser Ophir Falk, and chief of staff Tzachi Braverman amid stalled ceasefire talks and increasing international pressure on Israel.
The US and Israel pulled their negotiators out of Qatar last week over frustration with Hamas’s response to the latest Gaza ceasefire and hostage release proposal.
An Israeli official told The Times of Israel that Netanyahu will hold consultations on Gaza over the next two days.
We can't do this work alone.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
As a Times of Israel reporter, I’m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit’s. But my colleagues and I can't do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.
— Stav Levaton, military reporter
Yes, I'll join
Yes, I'll join
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
