Israel will not end war if there is agreement to release all hostages, PM’s aide tells families

National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi reportedly said on Thursday that the current government would not agree to end its war against Hamas in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages held by the terrorist group.

The message – issued during a heated meeting in which Hanegbi reportedly berated and insulted the relatives of several hostages – appears to be the first time a senior Israeli official has been quoted making such an admission. This highlighted the repeated impasse in the hostage negotiations, where Hamas insisted on a permanent ceasefire, while Israel was only willing to accept a temporary truce.

Hanegbi clarified that he believed the government would be able to achieve the first phase of the agreement currently on the table, which would see the release of women, the elderly and the injured, according to transcripts of the session disclosed to the Channel 12. this would represent up to 33 of the remaining 121 hostages.

The second and third stages would see Hamas release the remaining hostages – men and soldiers – followed by the bodies of those killed in captivity. The Israeli army confirmed the deaths of 37 of those still held by Hamas. In the final two phases, mediators envisage Israel agreeing to negotiate a permanent end to the fighting – a step Israel has not indicated it is prepared to take without Hamas’ defeat.

Hanegbi’s comments indicate that the government believes Hamas will refuse to release the rest of the hostages unless Israel agrees to end the war.

The terror group toughened its demands Thursday when it said it had informed mediators that it would only resume negotiations on a hostage deal if Israel ceased all operations in the Gaza Strip. The terror group said in a statement that it was ready to reach “a comprehensive agreement” with Israel, including the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, but would only do so if Israel “stop its war and aggression against Israel.” people in Gaza.

During his meeting with the hostages’ relatives, Hanegbi assured them that Israel would guarantee the implementation of the first phase of the agreement within a few months. “It won’t take many months, or even years,” he was quoted as saying, according to transcripts leaked to Channel 12.

However, he added: “I don’t believe this government will succeed in getting the whole deal done. This government will not make the decision to stop the war for the return of all the hostages.”

“We must continue to fight so that there is not another October 7 in October 2027,” Hanegbi said.

“If the hostages do not return within a few weeks or months, we have no other plan,” he admitted. “We will continue to fight in Gaza and the north, and only then will we reassess the situation. »

In response, one of the participants reportedly said: “Well, then we’re lost. »

Hanegbi replied: “That’s correct. »

One of the participants then brought up recent reports that public funds had been allocated to renovate the swimming pool at Netanyahu’s private home, saying such expenditures should not be made in the middle of war.

Hanegbi did not take the remark well. “He can build 10 swimming pools with his money if he wants. What a hateful thing to say,” he retorted, adding that this was not the right forum to express such scruples and accuse the woman of exuding hatred.

The relative responded: “I have every right to feel pain and hatred because I was in the safe room (at my home) for 15 hours (during the Hamas attack). I ran away from terrorists and had to walk over dead bodies. You didn’t do it.

To which Hanegbi reportedly replied: “Okay, go ahead then. Curse me.”

At that point, the woman left the room in tears, Channel 12 reported. Another participant then angrily walked towards the door, leading Hanegbi to say: “Are you also going to make a scene and slam the door after you?

Channel 12 said it cross-referenced the quotes with members of five different families and added that Hangebi did not deny them.

In response to this report, Hanegbi told Channel 12 that he “has met with the families of all the hostages who have sought to consult him since the start of the war. It does not record these conversations or broadcast their content. This is how it is appropriate to initiate an open dialogue between the political level and suffering families.”

“I will not change this practice, even after today’s meeting. Israel is obliged to secure the release of all the hostages and it will do so,” he added.

Demolition of Jabaliya tunnel, Netanyahu-Gallant meeting

As the government is under pressure to reach a deal, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group has released a second propaganda video showing hostage Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov, 30, after releasing a short video earlier this Tuesday. week.

Also on Thursday, the Israeli military announced it had demolished a network of Hamas tunnels in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, from where the bodies of seven hostages were found earlier this month.

The bodies of Ron Benjamin, Itzhak Gelerenter, Amit Buskila and Shani Louk were found on May 17, and those of Orión Hernández Radoux, Hanan Yablonka and Michel Nisenbaum were found on May 23. All seven were assassinated by Hamas terrorists on October 7. and their bodies were taken to Gaza, according to the Israeli army.

The tunnel was demolished using engineering vehicles, mines and other “technological means” by the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit after the IDF ruled out the possibility of further hostages being held in the area, adds the army.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu met in person with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for the first time since Gallant publicly called on Netanyahu to make “tough decisions” on post-war Gaza, Ynet reported.

The two men met at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv ahead of scheduled war cabinet and security cabinet meetings. The war cabinet was to discuss who would govern Gaza after the war, according to Hebrew media.

Anonymous associates of Netanyahu told the Walla news site that the prime minister should reprimand Gallant for his public speech, urging Netanyahu to rule out any Israeli civilian or military control over the Gaza Strip and to make plans for Palestinians without ties to Hamas run the enclave. when the operations are completed.

The meeting also came after Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party introduced a bill to dissolve the Knesset, ahead of his party’s expected departure from the emergency coalition it joined in start of the war with Hamas.

Netanyahu, Gantz and Gallant are the only three voting members of the war cabinet.