Netanyahu Calls Security Cabinet Meeting Over Hostage Remains

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to convene the security cabinet on Thursday evening for a special session focused on the remaining hostages and fallen soldiers still held in Gaza a pressing issue that has gripped the nation even after the return of all surviving captives.

“We are determined to bring back the hostages, all of them, every last one,” Netanyahu reaffirmed ahead of the meeting.

The discussion will center on Hamas’s failure to comply fully with the U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, which required the terror group to return not only living hostages but also the remains of all deceased captives and IDF soldiers.

So far, only a portion of the bodies have been returned, leaving 19 still unaccounted for, even as pressure builds across the political spectrum.

Shas party leader Arye Deri called on Netanyahu to immediately suspend all components of the deal including the reopening of the Rafah border crossing and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza until Hamas “cooperates fully and seriously” in returning all the remains.

Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli echoed these sentiments in an interview with Channel 14, warning that the fragile ceasefire could collapse. “We are not in a state of routine this is a significant moment,” he said. “Either they hand over the weapons, or we will have to return to fighting.”

With bereaved families waiting for closure and a nation demanding accountability, the government now faces a crucial decision continue honoring the ceasefire under incomplete compliance or reassert military pressure.

The outcome of tonight’s cabinet meeting may shape Israel’s next steps in Gaza and determine how far it is willing to go to fulfill its solemn vow: to bring every last hostage home.

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