Netanyahu seeks forgiveness for not saving hostages, but refuses to change truce deal terms

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday (Sep 2) sought forgiveness in a televised address after six hostages were killed in Hamas captivity in Gaza before the troops could reach them.

"I ask for your forgiveness for not bringing them back alive.We were close but we didn't succeed. Hamas will pay a very heavy price for this," said Netanyahu.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin (23),Ori Danino (25), Eden Yerushalmi (24), Almog Sarusi (27), Alexander Lobanov (33) and Carmel Gat (40) have been identified as the six hostages killed by Hamas.

While Netanyahu sought forgiveness, he refused to budge from his position that has stalled the ongoing hostage-truce deal. Bibi saidIsrael must retain control of key corridor on Egypt-Gaza border if the deal was to be signed.

"The achievement of the war's objectives goes through the Philadelphi Corridor... Control of the Philadelphi axis guarantees that the hostages will not be smuggled out of Gaza," he said during a press conference, referring to a narrow 14.5-km-long stretch of land along Gaza's southern border with Egypt.

Netanyahu claims that leaving the Philadelphi Corridor would enable Hamas to spirit the hostages to Iran.

Watch |Israel-Hamas War: Protests in Israel after Hostages' Killing

'Hamas' pipeline for oxygen'

Netanyahu said Israel had four war aims and three of them went through the corridor.

“To destroy Hamas, to bring back all of our hostages, to ensure that Gaza will no longer present a threat to Israel, and to return safely the residents of the northern border," said Netanyahu.

“Three of those war goals go through one place.The Philadelphi Corridor. That is Hamas’pipeline for oxygen and rearmament.”

The US, Qatar and Egypt, havebeen attempting to broker the deal but Netanyahu has stuck with his demands regarding the Philadelphi Corridor while Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area.

Netanyahu is in favour ofmaintaining Israeli troops in the corridorfor the six-week first phase of the ceasefire deal to prevent weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza.

However, the security establishment, led by Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has opposed the move, arguing that the new demand could blow up the talks and leave hostages at the mercy of Hamas militants.

Netanyahu's stubbornness is perhaps one of the reasons why US President Joe Biden on Monday said that his Israeli counterpart was not doing enough to secure the deal.

Biden said the two sides were "very close" to securing a deal, however, upon being pressed by reporters to whether Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal, Biden responded: “No.”

(With inputs from agencies)