Israelis "must face the reality" that hostages could be harmed during IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, Israeli lawmaker Yitzhak Kreuzer said in a KAN Reshet Bet interview on Thursday evening.
"We must face the harsh reality and agree that every moment the hostages remain in Gaza, their lives are at risk...and yet, we also saw instances where terrorists murdered the hostages when the IDF was approaching," Kreuzer, a member of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit faction, said.
When challenged by the interviewer, Kreuzer stated that "Hamas is unwilling to enter a deal...the message issued to our enemy is that the IDF's ground operations will not stop until total victory against the terror organizations is achieved.
"When our enemy knows that we are heading toward a deal, it hardens its position with the knowledge that hostages will remain in Gaza for a prolonged period," he lamented.
Kreuzer: Minister's POWs comment 'exposed media's hypocrisy'
Kreuzer was also asked about comments made on Wednesday by fellow faction-member Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, who claimed that the remaining hostages in Gaza must be referred to as 'prisoners of war.'
“Prisoners of war are dealt with only after victory. First, Hamas must be defeated,” Eliyahu told ultra-Orthodox radio station Kol Hai. “I think the mission is not ‘hostages first,’ and this hesitation is what’s keeping them stuck there. Many place the hostages above achieving victory; that’s a mistake. I call to release the prisoners of war after victory, not before.”
In response, Kreuzer said that "the minister exposed some of the hypocrisy on display by the various media channels," Kreuzer stated, adding that Eliyahu "quoted, almost word-for-word" the father of Eitan Mor, one of the 20 remaining hostages presumed to be alive.
"The truth is difficult and it is painful...Gilad Schalit was held in Gaza for five years, and Hadar Goldin's remains have been held in Gaza for over 4,000 days.
"Our worldview is very clear: In order to return all the hostages, we must remove the threat of Gazan terror organizations," the far-Right lawmaker said, adding that "we must occupy, resettle, and encourage immigration in Gaza."