Middle East & Africa | Hostage to hell

Israel isn’t sure what to do about the hostages in Gaza

Every option is fraught with danger

Families of the hostages in Gaza join with members of the public in a march around the Knesset
The endless waitPhotograph: Getty Images
|JERUSALEM

The deaths on December 15th of three Israeli hostages in Gaza, who were misidentified as members of Hamas and shot by Israeli soldiers, highlights how Israel’s dilemmas in reconciling its objectives in its war with Hamas are growing ever more acute. To the desperate families of the remaining hostages it seems clear that their loved ones may pay the ultimate price.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A dangerous muddle”

From the December 23rd 2023 edition

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