Why Netanyahu is being blamed for the Israeli hostage deaths

The heartbreaking news that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages has caused rage in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. All six hostages – Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lobanov, Almog Sarusi, and Master Sergeant Ori Danino – were kidnapped alive on 7 October. They were brutally executed by Hamas terrorists, possibly hours before they were found yesterday in a Hamas tunnel near Rafah, in the southern area of the Gaza Strip.

Although Hamas bears the primary responsibility for murdering the hostages, many in Israel see Netanyahu as partly responsible for their deaths. For months, Netanyahu has been accused of sabotaging negotiations for a ceasefire deal by Israeli politicians, members of the defence and intelligence establishment, journalists, family members of hostages, people directly involved in the negotiations, and international leaders including American President Joe Biden.