Defeating Israel’s enemies takes precedence over hostage rescue, says Netanyahu 

“We want to bring back all of our hostages,” he was quoted as saying by CNN. “That is a very important goal. In war, there is a supreme objective… and that is what we will achieve.”

This marks the first time Netanyahu has publicly ranked the return of hostages as a secondary objective. Previously, he had framed both the defeat of Hamas and the hostages’ return as equally important.

His remarks drew backlash from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which said in a statement: “The return of the hostages is not ‘less’ important – it is the supreme goal that should guide the government of Israel.”