Calls for focus to shift back to Gaza hostages after Iran ceasefire

FRANCE 24 English

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00:00Even as the Israel-Iran ceasefire was broken shortly after it came into effect, residents

00:06of Tel Aviv were still hopeful that the end of war was near, and not just with Iran.

00:12I really hope it will be the end of the war and now our main goal is to bring back our

00:19hostages.

00:20This is the main goal, to finish also with Gaza and make some deal there.

00:27A sentiment echoed by the Israeli Hostages Forum, which hopes that attention can now

00:32shift back to making a deal with Hamas.

00:35Those who can achieve a ceasefire with Iran can also end the war in Gaza.

00:40After 12 days and nights during which the people of Israel couldn't sleep because of

00:43Iran, we can finally go back to not sleeping because of the hostages.

00:48The 12-day operation in Iran has concluded.

00:51Now it's time to end the 627-day war.

00:54Mediator Qatar said they were looking to restart talks in the next two days.

00:59Prime Minister Alfani adding that he hoped Israel would not now take advantage of the

01:03situation with Iran to attack Gaza.

01:06We are still continuing our efforts and, God willing, we will try to look for an opportunity

01:13over the next two days for indirect negotiations between the two parties to reach a deal.

01:18Speaking to French radio, the Israeli ambassador to France suggested that Israel's primary goal

01:24now was the release of the hostages. The Israeli government has repeatedly been accused of abandoning

01:30them.

01:30If the hostages were released today, the war would end today. If they had been released

01:34yesterday, it would have ended yesterday.

01:36So eliminating Hamas is no longer a goal, just the release of the hostages?

01:42I'd say that Hamas has already been practically eliminated.

01:46Hamas has said it is willing to free remaining hostages under any deal that would end the war

01:51and secure Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, conditions that Israel rejects.

01:56Of the 251 hostages seized on October 7, most were released by ceasefire agreements.

02:03On Sunday, the Israeli military said that it had recovered the bodies of three more in Gaza.

02:0849 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

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