Israeli Minister Orit Struck has stirred controversy again with her remarks on Army Radio, stating that the government sacrifices everything to recover 22 or 33 hostages who do not deserve to remain. Struck, who heads the Ministry of Settlement, belongs to the extremist Religious Zionism party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The extremist minister has previously claimed that there is no Palestinian people and that Palestinians have no right to establish a state, asserting her rejection of a Palestinian state not only because it is unworthy and lacks historical rights but also because it poses an existential threat to Israel and global peace.
In response, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid reacted to Struck's comments, stating that a government comprising 22 or 33 extremists has no right to remain in power.
Palestinian resistance, led by Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, successfully captured a significant number of Israelis during the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, which was followed by a devastating Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, in addition to near-daily assaults on cities and villages in the West Bank.
Families of the captives protest almost daily, particularly in front of the government and defense ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, demanding a prisoner exchange to bring back their loved ones, and blaming the government and its leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the main obstacle to their return.
For months, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been facilitating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and facilitating an exchange of hostages and detainees between the two sides. However, these negotiations have yet to yield a definitive agreement due to Israel's refusal to meet Hamas's demand to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza, and allow displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
