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

The deathsidf 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.After Hamas’s attack on October 7th, Israel vowed to demolish the Islamist movement militarily, end its rule over the Gaza Strip and rescue 240-plus hostages taken by Hamas and other Palestinian groups. Since then, the Israel Defence Forces () has dropped tens of thousands of bombs onto the territory and sent over four divisions of troops into the coastal enclave.