To stop its continued military operations that have led to the death of many in Gaza, the Israeli government has asked Hamas to return its citizens who were taken as hostages, News About Nigeria reports.
Making this disclosure during a visit to the Ramon Air Force base in southern Israel, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there will be no ceasefire without the release of Israeli citizens still in captivity.
“I also want you to know that there is one thing that we will not do – there will be no ceasefire without the return of the captives,” Netanyahu was quoted to have said.
His remarks come as the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip announced on Sunday that at least 9,770 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the conflict with Israel began last month.
According to the ministry, about 4,800 children have been murdered since Israel began attacking the Gaza Strip in reprisal for the October 7 strikes carried out by Hamas militants in southern Israel, which Israeli officials say killed over 1,400 people, the majority of them were civilians.
Isreal dodginess comes amid a wide call for ceasefire.
News About Nigeria recalls that President Bola Tinubu-led government had at the early stage of the war called for a ceasefire, asking the two warring nations to peacefully settle their dispute.
The European Union, Russia, and the United States are among the countries that have urged for a cease-fire and discussion between Israel and Palestine.
The two nations have engaged in several disputes over territorial dominance.
