Live updates | Only a cease-fire deal can win hostages’ release, an Israeli War Cabinet member says

A member of Israel’s War Cabinet says that only a cease-fire deal can win the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Gadi Eisenkot added that those claiming hostages can be freed through military pressure were spreading illusions. The former army chief 's comments, broadcast on Israel’s Channel 12 television station late Thursday, were the latest sign of a growing rift among political and military leaders over the direction of Israel’s war on Hamas.