‘80% of hostages returned’: Netanyahu ls Israel’s ‘achievements’ as Gaza war enters 18th month | World News

Eighteen months into the war with Hamas, Israeli Prime Miner Benjamin Netanyahu took to social media to l what he called key “achievements” in the conflict. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu shared a screenshot of a l originally compiled Tamir Morag, a diplomatic correspondent for the right-wing Israeli outlet Channel 14, claiming significant military and strategic gains.“There are those who will continue to try to convince you that there are no achievements in the war. So here are the facts,” Netanyahu wrote, amplifying Morag’s claims.
The l includes:
– About 80% of the hostages kidnapped Hamas have been returned.
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– Rocket fire from Gaza has dropped over 99 per cent.
– Approximately 20,000 Hamas operatives have been killed.
– Top Hamas leadership has been eliminated.
– The US is advancing a plan to evacuate the Gaza Strip.
The war, which began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a deadly assault on Israel killing more than 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, has since spiraled into a wider regional conflict involving Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and other Iran-backed militias.

יש כאלה שימשיכו לנסות לשכנע אתכם שאין הישגים במלחמה. אז הנה העובדות: pic.twitter.com/jiHWNOizTi
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 20, 2025
Netanyahu’s post claims that Israeli forces have made substantial territorial and military gains:
– Israeli forces now control Mount Hermon and parts of southern Syria.Story continues below this ad
– Thousands of Hezbollah fighters have been killed, and 80% of the group’s military capabilities allegedly destroyed.
– Iranian proxies across the region, including in Iraq and Syria, have been “eliminated,” with Iran’s strategic air base reportedly destroyed and its economy in deep crisis.
The post also references the killing of top Hamas figures, including Mohammed Deif, the mastermind of the October 7 attacks, and Yahya Sinwar, who was reportedly eliminated in October 2024. Earlier, in July 2024, Ismail Haniyeh was also assassinated. Meanwhile, Israel intensified strikes in Syria following the December 2024 ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, targeting Hezbollah-linked stockpiles and command centers.
Despite the claims of military success, the cost of the war has been devastating. According to Gaza’s Health Minry, over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed—many of them women and children. The Minry does not dinguish between civilians and fighters in its data.Story continues below this ad
The humanitarian toll is equally staggering. The UN estimates that around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population is displaced, with vast swathes of the enclave’s infrastructure—including food production—reduced to rubble.
Though Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon appears weakened, with the Lebanese army now deploying in areas once used to launch attacks on Israel, a broader ceasefire remains elusive. On Sunday, Lebanese authorities arrested several individuals allegedly planning to fire rockets into Israeli territory.
Netanyahu’s recommitment to continue the war until all hostages are freed and Gaza no longer poses a threat came just a day before this social media post. It aligns with the hardline stance of his far-right coalition and followed fresh airstrikes in Gaza that reportedly killed at least 90 more people.
The post has drawn criticism online, with many pointing to the staggering human and economic costs of the war. One user wrote: “Thank you so much for putting out 80% of the fire you started. And we haven’t even talked about how much we paid to put it out…”Story continues below this ad
Another wrote, “70% of the Israeli public despises you, hates you, sees you as a traitor… wants all the hostages back home, even at the cost of ending the war!”
A third user mocked Netanyahu’s mention of a plan to evacuate Gaza: “Nice, but why didn’t you raise the gauntlet of the ‘plan to evacuate the Strip’? Donald Trump suggested this more than two months ago.”