Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah met on Thursday with representatives of the hostage families in Tel Aviv.
The Prime Minister opened the meeting by telling the families: "We are committed to bringing everyone back. Even if we are embarked on a multi-stage system, it includes everyone, both the fallen IDF soldiers and the hostages. I wish I could be bringing you better news today, but we have still not received a real response from Hamas. They are still presenting unacceptable demands."
“They are reluctant to move forward. They also want to heat up the region during Ramadan. That's how they function. That's their goal. Thanks to pressure from us, from the government, and also with your help, We are starting to see Qatar's pressure on Hamas," he added.
"I've been aiming for this and pushing for it for a long time. I think that every trip and meeting that you hold abroad, at the United Nations, in Washington, and in capitals around the world, has an impact. The pressure on Qatar is starting to work. Qatar has started telling them: 'We will kick you out,' 'We will deny you money.’ This is what was said. We made sure that this is verified. It's a change, it's a positive thing. If someone told you that I didn't want a deal, and we are trying not to do it, that's nonsense. At the moment we see is a change in Qatar's pressure. That's the positive thing I can say."