The imperative remains: End Hamas' control of Gaza

World view

- By BRET STEPHENS

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen paraded three skeletally thin Israeli hostages for a propaganda video in which they were forced to thank their captors before their handover to the Red Cross. One of the hostages, Eli Sharabi, returned to Israel to learn that his wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel, had been murdered on Oct. 7.

It was heartbreaking and grotesque. Other hostages are reported by The New York Times to have spent their captivity bound, tortured, deprived of food and denied medical care for shrapnel wounds and other injuries. Some have barely seen sunlight in nearly 500 days.

By Monday, Hamas had declared that it was postponing the release of additional hostages "until further notice," claiming Israeli violations of a six-week truce agreement. Hours later, President Donald Trump warned that "all hell is going to break out" if Hamas didn't release all remaining hostages by noon Saturday. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned that Israel would resume "intense fighting" if hostages were not released by that time. Trump also warned Jordan and Egypt that he would cut off American aid if they refused to accept Gaza refugees, adding that those refugees may not have the right to return to the Gaza Strip.