Netanyahu: Hostages Were at Shifa Hospital Until Israel's Ground Operation Began

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday, November 16, that there are "strong indications" that Hamas hostages were at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, but they were no longer there when the Israeli army commenced its ground operation. In an interview with CBS News, Netanyahu added that the strong signs of hostages being held at Shifa were one of the reasons for Israel's entry into the hospital. He remarked, "If they [the hostages] were there, they would have been brought out." Despite mentioning that his government has information about the hostages, Netanyahu refrained from providing further details, simply stating, "The less I talk about it, the better." Additionally, he discussed the ground operation's pressure on Hamas to achieve a ceasefire, stating, "If we can recover our hostages, we will have a temporary ceasefire. I don't think further explanation on that will help this goal." Netanyahu also did not answer whether Israel would agree to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the hostages, calling the matter "confidential." Hamas militants took over 240 hostages during the attack on October 7, including young children and the elderly. Numerous reports have emerged regarding a potential agreement, citing varying figures on the number of Palestinian prisoners and hostages. Previously, it was reported that Hamas demanded the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners, but this topic has been less discussed in recent weeks. Regarding civilian casualties in Gaza, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is trying to destroy Hamas with "minimal civilian casualties" and stated that the country is not seeking to "occupy" Gaza. He expressed that Israel aims to "prevent the resurgence of terrorism," referencing the experiences of Germany and Japan after World War II. Netanyahu asserted that freeing Palestinians from Hamas would create a real future for them and stressed that Palestinians need a leadership change. The President of Israel stated that a "very strong force" must be present to prevent Hamas from re-emerging in Gaza. The verbal clash between Erdogan and Netanyahu continues, with Erdogan labeling Israel a terrorist state and Netanyahu accusing him of supporting Hamas. The leader of the Israeli opposition has called for Netanyahu's removal, while Netanyahu declared that the war will continue "until the end of Hamas." UN Secretary-General Guterres responded to Netanyahu, stating that he has condemned Hamas from the very beginning.