Israeli Reactions to Resumed Gaza Attacks: Hostages at Immediate Risk

Introduction

Israel’s decision to resume military operations in Gaza on March 18, 2025, has triggered significant reactions within Israeli society, particularly among families of hostages still held captive.

The overnight bombardment, which reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians, effectively ended a two-month ceasefire agreement that had been in place since January 19.

This development has intensified concerns about the immediate safety of the approximately 59 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, with their families expressing outrage and fear that the renewed fighting places their loved ones in direct, life-threatening danger.

Government Justification and Military Response

The Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has justified the resumption of military operations by citing Hamas’s refusal to release additional hostages.

According to official statements, Israel coordinated with the United States before executing these extensive airstrikes on Gaza.

The White House confirmed that the Israeli administration had notified the US government about the forthcoming military action, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “The Israeli government consulted with the Trump administration and the White House regarding their operations in Gaza tonight.”

Netanyahu’s office announced that military operations would be ongoing and likely escalate, declaring, “From this point forward, Israel will intensify its military actions against Hamas.”

This decision follows what Israel describes as “Hamas’s continuous refusal to free our hostages and its dismissal of proposals” from mediators. Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that operations would continue until all hostages are returned and military objectives are accomplished.

The timing of this military escalation is significant as it occurred after weeks of stalled negotiations. Israel had been pushing for the release of more hostages while Hamas insisted on adhering to the original terms of the January 19 deal.

The previous ceasefire framework had been working through a phased approach, with Hamas releasing hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Security Establishment Concerns

Before the renewed strikes, there appeared to be disagreement within Israel’s security establishment regarding the approach to hostage negotiations. Channel 12 reported that Israeli security chiefs had advised political leadership to complete phase one of the Gaza deal to secure the release of as many hostages as possible.

An unnamed security source said, “We need to show restraint right now to finish phase one completely. We must not cut off the dynamic of the hostage releases. The framework is working.”

Hostage Families’ Outcry

The most vocal and emotional reactions have come from families of the hostages still held in Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum expressed their dismay on social media, stating that the Israeli government’s decision to launch attacks indicated a choice to “abandon the hostages.”

In a powerful statement, they declared: “We are shocked, angry, and terrified about the intentional disruption of efforts to return our loved ones from the horrific captivity of Hamas.”

This reaction represents a significant domestic challenge for the Netanyahu government, as public support for securing the release of hostages has been a powerful social movement in Israel.

The families have questioned why the government “reneged on the ceasefire agreement” with Hamas that was potentially leading to more releases.

Legal Action by Families

The families’ concerns had been escalating even before the renewed bombing. Nearly 50 released hostages and family members of those still captive had petitioned Israel’s High Court of Justice to force the state to restore electricity supply to Gaza, arguing that cutting electricity endangers the hostages’ lives.

Their petition stated there was “immediate and real danger to the lives of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a result of the stopped electrical supply.” This petition demonstrates the growing rift between the government’s military approach and the families’ focus on hostage welfare.

Former Hostages Warn of Immediate Danger

Some of the most compelling testimony about the risks to remaining hostages comes from those previously held captive who were released during earlier exchanges.

Former hostages Iair Horn, Alexandre Sasha Troufanov, and Keith Siegel made their first public statement on the evening of March 18, directly warning that military pressure endangers captives’ lives.

Troufanov, speaking from personal experience, stated: “All my life, I’ve been told there’s no one wiser than someone with experience.

And here I am before you, as a hostage who survived and was released in the latest agreement along with 32 other hostages, telling you that military activity endangers the lives of the hostages and harms them directly!

Nevertheless, this morning, I was horrified to discover that decision-makers are choosing not to listen”.

He emphasized that the government’s plan to apply military pressure on Hamas assumes the hostages have unlimited endurance, stating, “They’re not posters; they’re human beings, and their time is running out.

Every minute, there is endless hell and danger of death”. This firsthand testimony carries particular weight in the public discourse about the risks facing those still in captivity.

International Dimension and US Involvement

The international context of this decision is also significant. US President Donald Trump appears to have given Israel a “green light” to resume military operations, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal cited an Israeli official stating that Trump made this decision after Hamas refused to release more hostages.

This follows Trump’s previous ultimatum in February when he threatened that “all hell is going to break out” if all hostages were not released by a specific deadline.

The current situation appears to be at least partially influenced by this stance from Israel’s strongest ally.

Hamas Responses and Hostage Safety

Hamas has characterized Israel’s strikes as a unilateral termination of the ceasefire agreement. In their statement, Hamas asserted that Netanyahu and his administration had chosen to “annul the ceasefire agreement, placing prisoners in Gaza at risk of an uncertain fate.”

Hamas official Izzat al-Risq remarked that “Netanyahu’s choice to reignite conflict” equates to “a decision that jeopardizes the lives of the occupied prisoners and effectively issues them a death sentence.”

While these statements come from a group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel and many Western countries, they highlight the precarious situation of the hostages caught in the renewed conflict.

Hamas previously demonstrated during the ceasefire that it could facilitate hostage releases when incentivized to do so.

Immediate Physical Risks to Hostages

The renewed bombing campaign poses several direct physical risks to the hostages:

Danger from airstrikes

Israeli airstrikes have targeted “densely populated neighborhoods, makeshift schools, and residential areas where civilians sought refuge,” potentially endangering hostages held in these areas.

Deteriorating conditions

The humanitarian situation in Gaza was already dire before the renewal of hostages, with shortages of food, medicine, and fuel.

Hamas has claimed that “dire humanitarian conditions and fuel shortages have resulted in many injured individuals succumbing to their wounds due to their inability to reach medical facilities.”

Infrastructure collapse

With electricity cut and infrastructure damaged, basic life support systems that might be keeping ill or injured hostages alive could fail.

Conclusion

The resumption of Israeli military operations in Gaza represents a critical juncture in the ongoing conflict and hostage crisis.

While the government maintains that military pressure is necessary to secure hostage releases, the families of those captives and former hostages themselves have expressed profound concern that this approach places their loved ones in immediate, life-threatening danger.

The stark contrast between the government’s military strategy and the desperate pleas of hostage families highlights the complex moral and strategic dilemmas at the heart of this conflict.

As military operations continue, the fate of the 59 remaining hostages hangs in the balance, with their families left wondering if they will ever see their loved ones alive again.

With no clear resolution in sight, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, international tensions escalate, and the hostages remain caught in the middle of a deadly conflict, with their lives at greater risk than at any point since the ceasefire began in January.