Several family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza who have dual U.S.-Israel citizenship told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a meeting on Thursday that they get better treatment from the White House than from the Israeli government, two sources who attended the meeting told Axios. Why it matters: Netanyahu is facing growing public pressure in Israel and abroad as critics accuse him of not pursuing a hostage deal for political reasons.
- Senior members of Netanyahu's government, including ultranationalist finance minister Betzalel Smotrich, have said the hostages should not be Israel's top priority and it is more important to destroy Hamas.
- Family members of hostages claim they are being attacked on social media by Netanyahu's supporters. Some were physically attacked while publicly demonstrating and calling on the government to do more to release the hostages.
