Families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the “one obstacle” preventing their loved ones’ release and blocking a potential peace deal, escalating public pressure on the embattled Israeli leader.
In a statement on social media, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Israel’s strike in Qatar last week showed that “every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it.” The comments came days after Israeli forces attacked senior Hamas leaders meeting inside a house in Doha, the Qatari capital. Hamas said five of its members and a Qatari security official were killed in the strike.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel on Sunday amid growing international condemnation of the attack. He is expected to meet Netanyahu during his visit.
Netanyahu defended the strike, saying on Saturday that eliminating Hamas leaders in Qatar “would rid the main obstacle” to releasing the hostages and ending the war. He also accused Hamas of blocking all ceasefire attempts to prolong the conflict. Hamas members had been in Doha to discuss the latest U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for Gaza.
But the families of the hostages dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks as “the latest excuse for failing to bring home” their loved ones.
“The targeted operation in Qatar proved beyond any doubt that there is one obstacle to returning the 48 hostages and ending the war: Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the group said. “The time has come to end the excuses designed to buy time so he can cling to power.”
They warned that Netanyahu’s “stalling” had already “cost the lives of 42 hostages and threatens the lives of additional hostages who are barely surviving.”
Before departing Washington, Rubio said U.S. President Donald Trump was not happy with the strike on Qatar, though he emphasized that the U.S.-Israeli relationship remains “very strong.”
“Obviously we’re not happy about it, the president was not happy about it. Now we need to move forward and figure out what comes next,” Rubio said. He added that Trump’s priority remains securing the return of all hostages and ending the war in Gaza.
When asked if the attack on Doha would affect Qatar’s willingness to work with the U.S., Rubio said “they’ve been good partners on a number of fronts.” Qatar, a key U.S. ally, hosts a major American air base.
Qatar condemned the Israeli strike as “cowardly” and a “flagrant violation of international law.” Netanyahu called the attack “fully justified,” claiming it targeted senior Hamas leaders responsible for planning the October 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have intensified their bombardment of Gaza City with heavy airstrikes that have reduced entire apartment blocks and concrete structures to rubble. The Israeli military has warned all residents to evacuate ahead of a massive ground offensive.
Residents reported that schools and makeshift shelters have been hit, often after only brief advance warnings. The Israel Defense Forces said on Saturday that about 250,000 people have fled Gaza City and moved south.
Netanyahu’s plan to occupy Gaza City has drawn sharp international criticism. The United Nations has warned that a military escalation in a region already facing famine could push civilians into an “even deeper catastrophe.”
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. At least 64,803 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.
