Minister for National Missions Orit Strock said Monday in an interview with Kol Berama Radio that the IDF must extend its military campaign to areas in Gaza where hostages are believed to be held, despite the risk to their lives.
"What needs to be done is to launch a decisive battle in all the areas of the Gaza Strip we have not yet entered," Strock stated. "There is an entire area—defined by the Chief of Staff as roughly 25% of the territory—that has effectively been designated a ‘no-go zone’ because hostages are being held there. We cannot win a war this way. It is neither logical nor reasonable."
“We must make every effort to avoid harming the hostages, but that may be an outcome,” she added. “When our communities are under fire or there are daily attempts to kidnap our soldiers, does that not endanger lives? I cannot calculate whose life is more valuable. If attempts to abduct soldiers continue from that area daily, does that not pose a danger?”
According to Strock, such a decisive military campaign could even help bring about the release of the hostages. “Hamas deliberately continues to hold on to the hostages—they see them as their most valuable asset. Israel is doing the splits trying to respond, and that is not sustainable. I strongly oppose this kind of approach.”
As of today, 50 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, with estimates suggesting around 20 are still alive.
In response, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned Strock’s remarks: “Strock is calling for the sacrifice of the hostages, betraying the values on which the State of Israel was founded—all in the name of an endless, senseless war. She is gambling with their lives and normalizing their continued captivity. This comes as no surprise from someone who has consistently stood in the way of efforts to rescue the hostages. It is a disgrace to the government.”