Ambassador: Israel accepted recent hostage deal; Hamas rejected it — Israel will continue effort to recover hostages

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Dunham, told reporters on Monday that Israel had accepted the most recent hostage‑release proposal but that Hamas rejected it, and he reiterated Israel’s commitment to secure the release of hostages.

Dunham said, "Finally, as negotiations for the release of the hostages continue. The facts remain. Israel accepted the most recent deal. Hamas rejected it. We will not stop defending our people." He added that Israel would not "abandon our hostages who have been held for 600 days now," and described the government’s aims as returning hostages to their families and removing Hamas "from the game."

Why it matters: Hostage releases are central to international diplomatic efforts surrounding the conflict and shape ceasefire and operational decisions. Dunham’s statement identifies the latest negotiation status as Israel accepting a proposal that Hamas did not, according to his account, and frames continuation of operations as tied to the objective of freeing hostages.

Reporting context: These assertions come from a United Nations press briefing; the transcript records Dunham’s account that Israel accepted a deal and that Hamas rejected it, and it records his repeated emphasis on recovering the hostages and pressing military objectives.

Less critical detail: In response to a question about international pressure, Dunham said Israel is not "bombing the people of Gaza" but is fighting "a terrorist organization" and reaffirmed the government's goals to secure hostages and end Hamas’s control of Gaza.