Israeli troops have begun a ground offensive in Gaza, despite concerns that it will risk the lives of hostages held by Hamas.
Primie Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in defense of the military moves.
“I met twice with the families of the hostages,” he said. “You felt their anguish. I felt their anguish. I know the sense of – it's not only the sense of loss that bereaved parents have, it's a sense of not knowing, of continuous anguish. So I fully understand their concern.”
He insisted that, despite the risk, “our common assessment of all of the – not only the cabinet members, but also all the security forces and the military is that the ground action actually creates the possibility – not the certainty, but the possibility – of getting our hostages out. Because Hamas will not do it unless they're under pressure. They simply will not do it. They only do it under pressure. This creates pressure.”
