Netanyahu: Victory over Hamas More Important than Returning Hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that 'victory' over Hamas, not the return of the hostages, was the supreme objective of the war in Gaza.
Speaking at the annual Independence Day Bible Contest in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel has 'many goals, many goals in this war. We want to bring all our hostages home. We've so far brought back 147 alive, and 196 total.'
'There are another up to 24 alive, 59 total, and we want to return the living and the dead,' Times of Israel quoted him as saying.
'It's a very important goal,' Netanyahu said, but added, 'The war has a supreme goal, and the supreme goal is victory over our enemies, and this we will achieve.'
Meanwhile, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher asked Israel on Sunday to lift the 'brutal blockade' on Gaza.
'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,' he said in a statement.

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