US envoy defends Israel’s Gaza genocide, says mass killings ‘needed’ to free captives
The US special envoy on Israeli captives has defended the Israeli genocide in Gaza as a demonstration of strength, which he said is needed to release the captives held by Palestinian resistance fighters.
Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Adam Boehler said, “All Palestinians need this barrage to stop,” but it’s “through that toughness and through that strength that we’re going to see the hostages released.”
Hamas’s release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander was a “sign” that the group “understands” it must release Israeli captives “if they want this barrage of attacks to stop,” he further said.
On Friday, a senior Hamas official said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff personally assured the Palestinian resistance group that the US would pressure Israel to end the Gaza blockade and permit humanitarian access within two days of freeing Alexander.
Boehler added that only the release of Israeli captives would stop the regime’s attacks, which according to a recent Israeli investigative report, have killed civilians in 82% of cases.
This week in Doha, Witkoff and Boehler held multiple discussions with Israeli negotiators and regional mediators from Qatar and Egypt.
While Boehler insisted talks in Doha remain “very fluid” and rejected reports of deadlock, the US and Israel continue to openly use the threat of additional mass civilian casualties in Gaza as a bargaining leverage.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said on Sunday that the group will not release the remaining Israeli captives as long as the occupying regime can continue its genocidal war afterward.
“We will not hand over the occupation’s captives as long as it insists on endlessly continuing its aggression against Gaza,” he said.
At least 53,339 Palestinians have been killed and 121,034 wounded since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
