What IS going to happen to the Israeli hostages?

How much longer do the more than 100 Israeli hostages have to wait in their Hamas-controlled bunkers, tunnels and apartment prisons in Gaza? They should surely be the priority for the Binyamin Netanyahu government, both in terms of their survival chances and for his political survival as prime minister? The figure of 130 hostages is always given, but the fear is that at least 30 are already dead. How many more will die before a deal is done? The BBC has an agonising interview with one of the hostages who was released in November. The hostage, a woman, recounts the mental trauma and physical suffering she experienced, and no doubt still experiences, and that was after six or so weeks of being held captive in a number of different flats with armed Hamas guards. The remaining hostages have been held for more than six months. Their state of mind and their fear of death, but also their bewilderment over why their government has not managed to get them freed must be overwhelming. The negotiations to release them have made little progress after numerous attempts by the most senior of US, Israeli and Qatari officials. There is obviously little incentive for Hamas to negotiate cooperatively while Israel is threatening to attack Rafah in the south of Gaza where their remaining four combat brigades and leaders are hiding. So who will break first? Netanyahu wants to give nothing to Hamas, understandably, but the problem is that without concesions of some sort, the poor hostages will never be freed. It is a truly agonising time for the hostages and for their families back home.