00:00 The bombing continued in Gaza on Wednesday with no sign of a break in hostilities to
00:05 give local people some relief.
00:09 In Israel, families of hostages held in Gaza are pinning their hopes on a ceasefire to
00:13 get their loved ones back.
00:15 They attended a press conference at Kibbutz Beri, which was attacked by Hamas militants
00:20 on October 7th.
00:22 Ofer Engel was taken hostage that day and was released last month during the short-lived
00:27 ceasefire.
00:28 "I was there.
00:31 In every moment the hostages are there is danger.
00:36 They have no time.
00:37 Why do I get to be here and they don't?
00:42 They all have to come back home now."
00:44 There was a glimmer of hope for families earlier in the week when Hamas released videos of
00:49 two hostages held in Gaza.
00:52 But speaking in Lebanon on Wednesday, a senior Hamas official reiterated there would be no
00:57 release of any more hostages without a ceasefire.
01:01 "We have been clear for some time that since the occupiers stopped the temporary truce,
01:07 we have informed all parties about the clear and specific positions that there will be
01:11 no negotiation on the issue of prisoners before stopping the aggression."
01:17 A ceasefire had appeared to be edging closer with Qatari-brokered talks in Poland last
01:23 week.
01:24 Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh also met Egypt's head of intelligence in Cairo.
01:28 But more needs to fall into place before there's a break in the fighting, however temporary
01:32 that might prove to be.
