Netanyahu: Freeing hostages is ‘important' but ‘supreme goal' in Gaza is ‘victory'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said defeating Hamas remains his primary objective in Gaza, while adding that returning hostages still held by the militant group was 'a very important goal.'
Netanyahu, addressing an Independence Day event in Jerusalem, said Israel had 'many goals' in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of Israel.
'We want to bring all our hostages home. We've so far brought back 147 alive, and 196 total,' he said. 'There are another up to 24 alive, 59 total, and we want to return the living and the dead.'
'It's a very important goal,' Netanyahu said. 'The war has a supreme goal, and the supreme goal is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve.'
Netanyahu's comments come as Israel's military has returned to the Gaza Strip, with ceasefire talks seemingly stalled. Hostage families told The Hill this week that President Trump's upcoming trip to the Middle East made them hopeful of a breakthrough.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Netanyahu's comments were alarming given the condition of previously released captives.
'Prime minister, the return of the hostages is not 'less' important — it is the supreme goal that should guide the government of Israel,' the group said in a statement, according to CNN. 'The families of the hostages are concerned.'
Many in the region are facing the threat of starvation, as Israel continues to throttle humanitarian aid from entering the territory.
'Blocking aid starves civilians. It leaves them without basic medical support. It strips them of dignity and hope. It inflicts a cruel collective punishment. Blocking aid kills,' Tom Fletcher, the United Nations's emergency relief coordinator, said Thursday.
Netanyahu's comments echo some of the recent remarks from the hawkish far-right leaders of his governing coalition.
'We need to tell the truth — bringing back the hostages is not the most important goal. It is, of course, a very, very, very, very important goal,' far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last week, according to CNN.
'But anyone who wants to destroy Hamas and eliminate the possibility of another Oct. 7 must understand that in Gaza, there can't be a situation where Hamas remains present and intact.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

CNBC

11 minutes ago

• CNBC

Iran says it reserves all options after ‘outrageous' U.S. strikes, launches fresh attacks on Israel

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said Tehran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty and people after the "outrageous" U.S. attacks on three major nuclear enrichment facilities in the Middle Eastern country. Iran also launched its 20th wave of missile and drone strikes against Israeli military targets, according to Iran state-owned media Fars. The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday reported sirens blaring due to further Iranian offensives and added it had begun its own missile offensives in western Iran. The two regional foes have been exchanging attacks since Israel's surprise attack on Iran last week. Tehran's response comes after the U.S. conducted a direct military attack on Iran for the first time, a move that has dramatically ratcheted up geopolitical tensions in the already volatile region. Araghchi said on social media that the U.S. attacks targeting the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites would have "everlasting consequences," adding that "every member of the United Nations must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior." "In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a legitimate response in self-defense, Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," Araghchi said on X. Addressing the nation on Saturday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump said strikes on three of Iran's nuclear sites were a "spectacular military success" that "completely obliterated" the country's key enrichment facilities. The U.S. president's claim about the result of the operation could not be independently confirmed. The International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran's nuclear safety center had reported no radiation or contamination at the nuclear centers following the attacks, as of Sunday morning London time. "There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left," Trump said. Israel welcomed Trump's intervention in the conflict. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump's "bold decision will change history."

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

Donald Trump Confirms US Launched Strikes Against Iran In Major Escalation Of Middle Eastern War

Donald Trump has confirmed that the US struck Iran overnight and 'obliterated' its key nuclear facilities, marking a major escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict. Just days ago the US president gave himself two weeks to make a decision over joining the war in the Middle East, but clearly chose to strike long before that self-imposed deadline passed. The shocking move comes after UK prime minister Keir Starmer urged Trump not to strike Iran, noting that the region needs de-escalation. He warned that Iran's future held 'either peace or tragedy' and that there were many other targets he could hit unless Tehran agrees to end the war. Tensions soared in the Middle East earlier this month when Israel unexpectedly attacked Iran over fears it was developing nuclear weapons – a claim Iran has denied, insisting that it is only for peaceful purposes. The two countries then continued to exchange fire over the course of a week. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his 'bold decision' of striking Iran, which he claimed would alter the course of history. According to CBS News, the States contacted Iran on Saturday to confirm the attacks had come to the US and that it is not looking for regime change. During a three-minute speech confirming the attacks, Trump said: 'Massive precision strikes on the three key nuclear facilities in the Iranian regime Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. 'Everybody heard those names for years as they built this horribly destructive enterprise. 'Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror. 'Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. 'Iran's key nuclear facilities and been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. 'If they do not, future attacks will be far greater – and a lot easier.' — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025 As Trump Weighs Up Joining Israel's War Against Iran, Here's A Reminder How We Got Here Keir Starmer Urges Donald Trump Not To Bomb Iran Obama Says US Moving 'Dangerously Close' To Autocracy Under Trump

CNN

an hour ago

• CNN

US strikes Iran: how we got here

US strikes Iran: how we got here CNN's Alayna Treene reports how President Donald Trump decided to strike Iran after growing frustrated with the pace of negotiations over the country's nuclear program. 01:27 - Source: CNN Hear from Americans still trying to leave Israel Commercial airlines have, for days now, halted all flights in and out of Israel due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. CNN spoke to multiple Americans in central Israel who are still struggling to leave the country. 01:05 - Source: CNN Mahmoud Khalil met with cheers at airport in New Jersey A crowd erupted into cheers for Mahmoud Khalil, his wife and child as they arrived at Newark Airport on Saturday following Khalil's released on bail from a Louisiana ICE detention center, more than three months after he was arrested outside his apartment on Columbia University's campus. CNN's Gloria Pazmino was at the airport for his arrival, which included the presence of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 00:40 - Source: CNN Eight die in hot air balloon accident in Brazil A video posted to social media showed a hot air balloon catching fire in the sky before plummeting to the ground in Brazil. Eight of the 21 people on board died in the incident, according to the local governor. 00:23 - Source: CNN Why Fareed Zakaria thinks Trump has 'FOMO' foreign policy CNN's Fareed Zakaria analyzes what may be motivating President Trump's foreign policy: a fear of missing out. 00:44 - Source: CNN Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in Israel CNN's Anderson Cooper reports from a bomb shelter in the basement of a hotel in Tel Aviv as Iran fires another round of missiles at Israel. 01:13 - Source: CNN Aftermath of Iranian strike on Haifa CNN's Nic Robertson shows the aftermath of an Iranian strike on Haifa, Israel, less than an hour after it made impact. The strike wounded at least 17 people according to Israeli national emergency service MDA. 00:48 - Source: CNN Iran's foreign minister responds to Trump's call for negotiations After President Trump opened a two-week negotiating window before he decides whether to strike Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the country is not seeking negotiations with the United States. 00:16 - Source: CNN Iranian missile strikes major Israeli medical center CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, reports from Beer Sheva, Israel, where a hospital was struck during an Iranian attack. Iran said it was targeting an Israeli intelligence and command center 'near a hospital.' There have been no reported deaths from the strike. 01:04 - Source: CNN Israel's defense minister: Khamenei cannot 'continue to exist' Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cannot be allowed to 'continue to exist,' after an Israeli hospital was struck by an Iranian missile on Thursday. 00:13 - Source: CNN CNN correspondent reports on the ground in Tehran Air defense systems had been activated over Tehran overnight, according to a Telegram post from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports on the scene. 01:41 - Source: CNN CNN on the ground in Tehran CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Iran's capital city of Tehran and is the first western journalist to enter the country since its conflict with Israel started. Hear his first impressions and what he's witnessed as he journeyed across Iran. 01:28 - Source: CNN Trump says decision on Iran will come down to the last second CNN's Kaitlan Collins asks President Trump if he has made a final decision on whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 01:12 - Source: CNN This is how the US could get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports on how the US could get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran while the countries continue trading strikes for a sixth day, with civilians in flashpoint areas facing waves of attacks. 02:14 - Source: CNN Trump open to assisting Israel in conflict with Iran CNN's Kaitlan Collins gives the latest reporting on the White House debating whether to intervene in the Israel-Iran conflict. 00:58 - Source: CNN Woman gives birth to triplets in underground Israeli hospital A woman gave birth to triplets Monday in Israel's Rambam hospital, one of several in the country that have moved some operations underground as Iranian strikes hit the city of Haifa this week, according to Reuters. 00:44 - Source: CNN What Iranian residents are texting to CNN as strikes hit As Israeli strikes zeroed in on Iran's capital city of Tehran, CNN's Clarissa Ward reports from Tel Aviv some of the messages she's received from residents in Iran offering a glimpse into the daily anxieties of living in a country faced with an ever-escalating conflict in the sky. 01:33 - Source: CNN Trump disputes intel chief Tulsi Gabbard on Iran President Donald Trump disputed his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, on how developed Iran's nuclear capabilities are and said Iran was on the verge of obtaining a nuclear weapon when Israel struck in recent days. 00:26 - Source: CNN Trump tells CNN reporter why he left G7 As President Donald Trump returns to the United States after leaving the G7 summit early, he took questions from journalists aboard Air Force One. Watch his answer to CNN's Chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins' question on why he left early. 00:44 - Source: CNN Trump slams Macron's comment on why he had to leave G7 summit early US President Donald Trump called out French President Emmanuel Macron over his counterpart's suggestion that he left the G7 summit to work on a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. "He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire," Trump wrote on Truth Social. 00:35 - Source: CNN Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Ex-Israeli Defense Minister's message to Trump Benny Gantz, Chairman of Israel's National Unity Party, and the former Minister of Defense speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper following Israel's attack on Iran. 01:08 - Source: CNN Video shows Pakistani students returning home from Tehran Hundreds of Pakistani students who left their studies in Tehran amid daily strikes on the city by Israel, have crossed back into Pakistan, a local official told CNN. 00:28 - Source: CNN CNN team sees strike damage in Tel Aviv Residents in Tel Aviv, Israel, are reeling after another round of Iranian strikes on the city overnight. CNN's International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson visits a street in the center of the city where buildings were severely damaged and windows blown out by Iranian missiles. 01:28 - Source: CNN What we know about Iran's key nuclear site It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. 01:00 - Source: CNN CNN asks Israeli official about plans to eliminate Iran's nuclear program Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tells CNN's Bianna Golodryga that it's up to the "free world" to eliminate Iran's nuclear program. 01:14 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN Shipping industry navigates Trump's trade war CNN's Kristie Lu Stout gets exclusive access on board a US-bound container ship in Hong Kong's port, the frontlines of China's 'export rush' chaos as the clock ticks down on a 90-day pause on US tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. 01:11 - Source: CNN Iranian state television says it was attacked by Israel The studio complex of Iran's state news channel IRINN was struck by Israel on Monday, according to the country's state news agency. A loud explosion was heard while an anchor was presenting live on air, according to a live feed. 00:19 - Source: CNN