The true role of leadership is recognizing opportunities and adapting to rapidly changing situations.
After talks of a ceasefire in Gaza that would see a partial release of half of the 20 living hostages being held by Hamas broke down earlier this month due to Hamas’s intransigence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel would no longer agree to a partial deal.
Instead, in an all-or-nothing challenge, the Prime Minister’s Office stated that: “Israel will agree to a deal on condition that all the hostages are released in one go.” In addition, the PMO statement demanded the disarmament of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli control of the Gaza perimeter, and the installation of non-Hamas and non-PA governance.
However, since the cabinet approved plans for taking over Hamas’s stronghold of Gaza City, and the IDF has started implementing its plans, as outlined in yesterday’s Post, of sending 80,000 soldiers to encircle, then conquer the city and destroy Hamas’s core infrastructure, it has thrown the terror group into a panic.
Hamas is under intense pressure, Netanyahu said on Monday, and it appears that the pressure has forced its leaders to reconsider a ceasefire with a partial hostage release.
According to reports, Hamas has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal that would see the release of 10 living hostages in return for a 60-day ceasefire, and the release of 150 terrorists serving life sentences.
The reports said that during the ceasefire, negotiations would take place to reach an end to the war, the release of the rest of the hostages, and the disarmament of Hamas. KAN reported Tuesday that for the first time, Egypt had offered to store all of Hamas’s confiscated weaponry.
Axios reported that Hamas’s response “aligns 98%” with the proposal by US President Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, which Israel had previously agreed to. The question now is, how will Netanyahu and his cabinet respond?
Those who are sticking to the all-or-nothing formula include the diametrically opposite aggregate of hostage families and their supporters who filled the country’s streets on Sunday to demand an end to the war, and Netanyahu’s extreme coalition elements, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
As we wrote on these pages yesterday, the model of partial releases has run its course. It prolonged the nightmare, emboldened Hamas, and frayed Israel’s unity. Partial relief has come at the steep price of perpetuating the very captivity it sought to end. The demand is simple, moral, and unshakable: all of them, all at once. Nothing less.
Time has run out for remaning hostages
However, morally, how can we pass up the chance to free 10 of our own, who have been starved to death for nearly two years in Hamas tunnels? We’ve all seen the photos and videos. Whether a cruel Hamas propaganda campaign or not, they hammered the message home that the time has run out.
Our Jewish sources and our Israeli manifesto of leaving nobody behind also reveal a moral imperative. We can hold the ideal principles of demanding a full release. However, when it’s all or nothing, the risk is that it will be nothing. Israel can go through with its invasion of Gaza City, pulverize what remains of Hamas, absorb formidable military casualties, and still not rescue the hostages.
If the proposal that Hamas accepted is something that aligns with the Witkoff proposal, it must be seriously considered by Israel. If accepted, the end of the war can be achieved through diplomacy with the US at the helm and Egypt and Qatar stepping up to convince Hamas that its time is up. It would be advantageous to Israel rather than subduing Hamas militarily, with high IDF casualties as well as a heavy toll on Gazan civilians.
Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz offered his backing to Netanyahu and his coalition should a deal be accepted.
“The government has a clear majority and a wide safety net to bring back the hostages. Netanyahu, this is not a time to hesitate,” he wrote.
The decision to finish off Hamas and the demand that all the hostages be released at one time has brought Hamas back to the table in a weakened position, and agreeing to the proposal that Israel accepted only weeks ago.
As much as we believe in the all-or-nothing approach, it’s incumbent on Netanyahu to show true leadership and take advantage of the opportunity to retrieve 10 living souls who are hanging to life by a thread. There’s no greater mitzvah.