What's happened
Hostages in Gaza, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, have released videos pleading for their release, showing signs of life and urging the Israeli public to pressure leaders for a deal.
Why it matters
The release of these hostage videos is crucial as it sheds light on the ongoing hostage situation in Gaza, putting pressure on the Israeli government to negotiate for their release and highlighting the human impact of the conflict.
What the papers say
Sky News and The Times of Israel report on the emotional plea of the hostages in Gaza, while Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post focus on the hostages' calls for a deal for their release and the impact on the Israeli government.
How we got here
The hostages were taken during the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, leading to a prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas. Efforts have been made to secure their release through negotiations and international mediation.
Common question
More on these topics
-
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.