Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Tuesday that the military pressure on Hamas is effecting change, enhancing the prospects for the release of hostages.
"We are determined to bring all of the hostages back home," Netanyahu told families of hostages who traveled with him to the United States. "I believe this change will increase."
Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Monday ahead of his address to a joint session of Congress and his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden.
"[The trip] gives us a chance to present to American lawmakers and the American public the importance of their support in our efforts to release all of the hostages, both living and dead," he said, emphasizing that their return is the goal of the war.
2 View gallery
Shelly, mother of hostage Omer Shem Tov, travels with Netanyahu to the US
(Photo: Hostages and Missing Families Forum)
On Thursday, a delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea will travel to Qatar for talks with mediators on a potential deal with Hamas after the prime minister authorized the resumption of negotiations.