Hostage Survivor Avinatan Or Demands War End With One Result

Hostage survivor Avinatan Or spoke at the Israel Hayom newspaper conference in New York, recounting his experience in Hamas captivity in Gaza. He described how his captors denied him almost all information about the outside world while he was held in tunnels, but he focused on maintaining his "freedom of choice" in how he reacted to his situation.

Or revealed a conversation he had with a Hamas militant shortly before his release. The militant told him about the deal for his release and advised him to leave Israel permanently, stating, "As long as the State of Israel exists, this war between Israel and Hamas will never end." Or stated this conversation clarified "absolutely who we are dealing with and what the essence of Hamas is."

Based on his experiences and the militant's words, Or concluded that Hamas's sole objective is the destruction of Israel. "This is precisely why this war must end with only one result," he declared. He emphasized that Israel's mission is to ensure that an enemy dedicated to spreading death does not coexist with Israelis, asserting, "Because if they live there, we will not live here. We must complete the mission and destroy Hamas."