In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cited the claims of rape and other abuse in a meeting with families of returned hostages on Tuesday that some participants described as angry because of frustration over the government’s handling of the situation, Reuters reports.
“I heard stories that broke my heart… I heard and you also heard, about sexual assault and cases of brutal rape unlike anything,” Netanyahu said at a news conference.
Israel says a number of women and children remain in Hamas’s hands. During the pause in fighting, Hamas returned more than 100 hostages while 138 captives remain.
US President Joe Biden blamed Hamas for the collapse of the truce last week, saying the group’s “refusal to release the remaining young women is what broke this deal”.
