Amid concerns about the safety of hostages, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Gaza’s future hinges on Hamas’s destruction. This forceful statement, following his meetings with President Trump and U.S. lawmakers focusing on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Hamas’s elimination, has raised anxieties among hostage families and at least one former hostage that it could hinder the hostages’ release. Netanyahu asserted that lasting peace and a future for Gaza are impossible with Hamas in power. These remarks followed Trump’s announcement of a plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip and forcibly remove its Palestinian population. Netanyahu, speaking alongside U.S. representatives and highlighting their strong relationship, declined to answer press questions.

Ruby Chen, father of an American-Israeli hostage captured during the October 7th conflict, urged Netanyahu to prioritize the hostages’ release above all else, criticizing Netanyahu’s role in the October 7th events. Hamas, along with numerous other nations, rejected Trump’s plan and delayed the release of the names of hostages scheduled for release on Saturday, as per the ceasefire agreement. After a delay, Hamas announced the release of Eli Sharabi, Or Levy, and Ohad Ben Ami, highlighting the circumstances of their captures and those of their family members.

Concerns are growing among hostage families, a former hostage, and ceasefire mediators that the statements from the Trump-Netanyahu meeting could jeopardize the continued release of hostages. Only 13 of the 33 hostages slated for release in the first phase have been freed. The IDF confirmed the deaths of at least eight hostages during their captivity, while the fate of two young brothers remains unknown, despite Hamas’s claims. At least nine hostages scheduled for the first release are believed to be alive, while the fate of the remaining 65, at least 26 of whom are also believed to have died, will be addressed later. Negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, delayed by a week, are expected to commence in Qatar.

Netanyahu’s spokesperson characterized Hamas’s delay in releasing the hostages’ names as a serious violation of the ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu plans to monitor Saturday’s fifth hostage release from Washington, D.C., where he’ll remain throughout the weekend. Reports suggesting Netanyahu proposed a plan to Trump for ending the Gaza conflict in exchange for Hamas’s relinquishment of power and its leaders’ exile were denied by Netanyahu’s office.