ISRAEL has launched a massive new military operation to seize parts of Gaza and is beginning large-scale evacuations of civilians.
But Benjamin Netanyahu has been urged that he must free the remaining 59 hostages before crushing terror group Hamas.
Fresh fighting will soon be underway as Tel Aviv sends its soldiers to expand the zones it controls inside Gaza by seizing a “large” amount of land.
The IDF has been tasked to “destroy and clear the area of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure”;.
Netanyahu has insisted military pressure was the best way to get back the remaining hostages as he repeated calls for Hamas to disarm.
Israel restarted its Gaza bombing campaign on March 18 and has blocked aid getting into the strip after the end of the first round of ceasefire hostage exchanges.
Israel must prioritise getting the hostages home before eliminating with Hamas, one former ambassador has warned.
Ex-diplomat Daniel Shek said the IDF has exhausted military efforts and must now focus on a deal to return those still captive.
Shek argued freeing hostages who have been captive for more than 500 days through diplomatic means is more urgent than wiping out the terror group.
More than 50 hostages remain in Hamas' clutches after being barbarically kidnapped when thousands of terrorists swept across the border on October 7, 2023.
Of the 59 still in Gaza, 24 are still believed to be alive.
Speaking at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv, Shek – who served as Israel’s ambassador to France – insisted the release of the hostages should be Israel's number one priority.
Shek, now head of diplomacy for the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said: “I actually think that the military effort has exhausted itself many, many months ago.
“It is clearly a matter of political will and that only an agreement can bring back the hostages.
“It’s the priority issue. People ask, there are two goals the Israeli government set to the war, defeating Hamas and bringing back the hostages – which is more important.
“And my honest and truthful answer is that I don’t know which is more important. But I know for certain which is more urgent.
“There is a clear hierarchy, priority and urgency. You can defeat Hamas in six months, a year – but you cannot leave the hostages any longer in Gaza.”;
Shek said the “second worst enemy”; to the hostages after Hamas is “forgetfulness”; as he urged the international community to fight for their long-awaited freedom.
Hamas brutally abducted 251 people from Israel in an atrocious shock attack more than 15 months ago.
Weeks after the assault, that left more than 1,200 dead, 105 hostages were released in a prisoner exchange deal.
A further 30 were freed this year during a ceasefire.
But for the families whose loved ones remain captive, they believe not enough is being done to save them.
Yehuda Cohen is battling for his soldier son Nimrod, 20, to finally be brought home.
Nimrod, then 19, was a gunner in a tank on October 7 attempting to stem Hamas terrorists invading Nahal Oz army base.
The teen was in a tank when he was captured by terrorists, with the vehicle struck by RPG fire and explosives.
He was dragged into Gaza alongside three colleagues, Cpt. Omer Neutra, Sgt. Shaked Dahan and Sgt. Oz Daniel Neutra.
Horrifying footage showed their tank engulfed in flames as terrorists in civilian clothing stood by before they were hauled out of the vehicle
As a soldier, Nimrod is set to be one of the last released by cruel Hamas thugs.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
Yehuda said: “You heard the stories of what happened on October 7 – this is the past, we cannot change that.
“I’m talking about the present. And in the present my son along with 23 other hostages are suffering and their lives are in danger.
“So this is what’s important now. It all depends on our government agreeing to go for the second part of the deal, agreeing for a permanent ceasefire, the IDF withdraw from Gaza and exchange of prisoners.
“We can take care of them [Hamas] later. First of all saving lives including my son. I am here in the present.”;
But Israel is ploughing ahead with its ambition to wipe out Hamas – ordering a large-scale evacuation of the Gaza strip.
It is not clear how much land Israel intends to seize.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said evacuations would take place from where the fighting would happen.
The IDF has issued evacuation orders to those living around the southern city of Rafah and towards the city of Khan Yunis, telling them to move to the Al-Mawasi area on the shore.
Israeli leaders are pressing on after being encouraged by signs of protest in Gaza against Hamas, which has controlled the strip since 2007.
