hamas has been absurdly holding on to hostages for almost two years in the delusion that they will negotiate sovereignty out of the process. israel is not going to give them that. as a result, the hostages are going to starve to death, if there are any still alive at all.
hamas had better expect that they will have hell to pay at that point. why would israel negotiate further with them at all?
the next step, once the hostages are confirmed to be dead, will need to be complete annihilation. it must be. the only thing preventing it has been an attempt to exchange the hostages for leniency, out of pity. when that ceases, the only thing left to do is burn the remaining city down to the ground and bulldoze it into the sea.
hamas might want to think that through.
it's probably already too late, and they will need to face justice, as they deserve it.