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Netanyahu: 'Enough' Remaining Israeli Hostages Alive to Warrant Gaza War

People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
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Netanyahu: 'Enough' Remaining Israeli Hostages Alive to Warrant Gaza War

People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)
People inspect debris and rubble in a building heavily damaged by Israeli bombardment, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 11, 2024. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview aired on Sunday that "enough" of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza are alive to justify Israel's ongoing war in the region.
Asked how many of the hostages are still alive, Netanyahu said "enough to warrant the kind of efforts that we're doing.
"We're going to try to do our best to get all those who are alive back and, frankly, also the bodies of the dead," he said in the interview with ABC's "This Week" program.
According to Reuters, Netanyahu also said that one Palestinian civilian has been killed for every Hamas fighter killed in Gaza.
Health authorities in Gaza estimate about 28,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the region since the conflict began in October.
Palestinian health authorities say around 70% of those killed are women or children under 18. The World Health Organization has described the Palestinian Health Ministry system for reporting casualties as "very good" and UN agencies regularly cite its death toll figures.
Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostages back to Gaza in an Oct. 7 assault that triggered the conflict.

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Will Egypt Request Extradition of Ahmad Mansour?

Egyptian Ahmad al-Mansour (X)
Egyptian Ahmad al-Mansour (X)
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Will Egypt Request Extradition of Ahmad Mansour?

Egyptian Ahmad al-Mansour (X)
Egyptian Ahmad al-Mansour (X)

Judicial authorities in Egypt have issued an arrest and extradition warrant for Ahmad al-Mansour, who allegedly made threats against Egypt from Syria. He was reportedly apprehended by security forces in Damascus, an informed Egyptian source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
A source at the Syrian interior ministry told Reuters that Syria's new authorities have detained al-Mansour over threats he made to the government in Cairo.
The source said that al-Mansour has posted several videos threatening Egyptian authorities, and calling for protests.
Lately, al-Mansour had caused a huge controversy after appearing in a taped video of himself surrounded by masked fighters in a room decorated with a flag associated with the Egyptian monarchy before the 25 January revolution.
Al-Mansour's calls were rejected, even by Egyptian opponents, who said his speech harms the peacefulness of the January 25 revolution in 2011.
Research conducted by Asharq Al-Awsat found no judicial rulings recorded against al-Mansour, whether on terrorist or criminal charges.
The informed Egyptian source said the authorities issued an arrest warrant for al-Mansour on charges of joining armed terrorist groups, incitement to overthrow the regime by force of arms, and threatening Egyptian national security.
“Authorities are also preparing a file to request his extradition from Syria,” the source said.
Egypt's request to return al-Mansour does not require judicial rulings, the source added.
It is enough for Egyptian authorities to ask for his extradition on the grounds of questioning him, especially on criminal charges, the source said.
MP Mustafa Bakri told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Syrian authorities will not hand over Ahmad al-Mansour to Egypt. “They arrested al-Mansour only to prevent him from abusing authorities in Egypt and to avoid any clash with Cairo,” he said.
For his part, Syrian activist and journalist Abdul-Karim Omar, who is close to the new administration, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the current Syrian authorities are careful not to turn the new Syria into a threat to any country. “They want to preserve Syria’s relationship with Egypt,” he said.
Omar said he does not know whether the administration in Syria plans to hand al-Mansour over to Egypt, but assured that the new administration is keen to get have closet ties with Cairo.