Family Outrage: Israel's Netanyahu Faces Heat Over Hamas Leaks

Families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are angry. They believe leaks by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's office have hurt efforts to free their loved ones. Last week, an Israeli court lifted part of a gag order on this investigation. Netanyahu's media adviser was one of five people arrested. The leaks seemed to support Netanyahu's claim that Hamas was blocking a deal, not him. But families say these leaks damaged public support for a hostage deal. Last Tuesday, protesters blocked a highway in Tel Aviv. They demanded an end to the war in Gaza and the release of 101 Israeli hostages. A group called the Women's Protest for the Return of the Hostages said Netanyahu's real war objective was to block the deal and hurt public support.

Netanyahu's office denies this, saying no harm was done. Opposition leaders, like Yair Lapid, disagree. They want to know if Netanyahu knew about the leaks. If he didn't, they think he's unfit to lead. The scandal became public when the gag order was lifted. It's believed about a third of the hostages are already dead, and Netanyahu's refusal to give up control of a strategic area is seen as a reason negotiations failed. Despite this, support for Netanyahu's party is recovering. Pollster Dahlia Scheindlin says this could hurt Netanyahu politically, especially since many Israelis want a deal to bring home the hostages. But if elections aren't held until 2026, it might not matter.

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