GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 695

It’s Working

Exactly What They Want

The protests in Israel demanding that a deal with Hamas to get the hostages back are getting bigger and bigger with one hostage family wanting Prime Minister Netanyahu charged with murder as we read in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Einav Zangauker, the mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said, at Begin Gate in Tel Aviv on Saturday, in a message to the prime minister, that if her son returns in a body bag, she will ensure that he is charged with premeditated murder.

“According to a senior security official, my Matan could have been home already last week,” Zangauker said. “The government of Israel and its leader put a partial outline for a deal on the table and decided to torpedo it at the last minute a month ago. Every time we face a new false spin from Netanyahu.”

To say she’s upset is an understatement. More demonstrations are planned tonight:

Israelis will demonstrate in the evening against the IDF’s upcoming incursion into Gaza City, calling for an immediate ceasefire deal. The Hostage and Missing Families Forum argues that military pressure kills hostages. “History is repeating itself! Forty-two of our brothers and sisters were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity - we must not reach hostage number 43,” the forum said.

Hamas had the temerity to want live terrorists for dead Israeli bodies:

At the end of July, Hamas had informed mediators that it would not enter negotiations with Israel until the humanitarian situation in Gaza improved. Hamas cut off contact, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post at the time. A day earlier, the Post reported that Israel has issued a formal response to a position paper sent by Hamas several days ago, where Israeli officials made it clear they reject Hamas’s demand to release live terrorists in exchange for the bodies of hostages.

And they lied to the PM something we all knew they would:

Hamas misled Israel in hostage talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in mid-August during a press conference with Israeli media. Hamas demanded the release of Nukhba terrorists, demanded binding international guarantees not to return to fighting, and demanded Israel's withdrawal from the Strip, including from the Philadelphi Corridor. The prime minister argued that no government would accept such a deal.

Being rebuffed for their outlandish demands, Hamas decided to agree to a partial deal again:

Hamas has since expressed interest in a partial deal; however, Israel has insisted that it will only agree to a comprehensive deal in which all 49 remaining hostages are released from captivity.

Pressure On Netanyahu

Of course Hamas wants to sideline Netanyahu because they know he will not relent:

"Hamas is interested in a deal. More than a week ago, it gave its consent to Witkoff's terms, and only Netanyahu refuses to send a negotiating team and sign a deal,” Yehuda Cohen, hostage Nimrod Cohen’s father, said at Begin Gate. “Why hasn't Israel discussed the proposal yet since Hamas' response? There is one person who stands against the will and interest of the people - his name is Benjamin Netanyahu, and he is afraid of two things: the extremists in his government and public pressure.”

Another hostage parent was just as strong in his feelings:

“While my son is fighting for his life in captivity and an entire nation is struggling to bring him out of there, the government intends to conquer the Strip and gamble on his life and on the lives of the living hostages, to erase the fallen forever, and to gamble as well on our heroic soldiers,” Itzik Horn, father of hostage Eitan Horn said at Begin Gate.

“Sitting in the government and the cabinet is a group of deranged people, and every citizen in Israel must ask whether these people are worthy of making decisions about their fate.”

And now there are reports that military leaders inside Israel think that the Gaza city offensive needs to be halted over the risk of losing hostages as we see in a report from The Times Of Israel:

Israeli defense chiefs will present an all-but united front to the security cabinet on Sunday, beseeching ministers to accept the current proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza over the government’s desired offensive in Gaza City, Channel 12 reported Friday.

Several leaders wanted the deal:

Those urging the deal over the expanded Gaza operation include IDF chief Eyal Zamir, Mossad Director David Barnea and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, the report said. A notable exception is the acting chief of the Shin Bet, identified only by the initial “Shin” for security reasons. His exact stance was not detailed.

According to the source these military leaders question why no votes were held on the deal:

Security chiefs will also question why Israel has not held a cabinet meeting to at least seriously consider the latest offer on the table — an offer broadly similar to the proposal Jerusalem had itself recently approved.

Apparently they will provide their views tomorrow:

Israeli defense chiefs will present an all-but united front to the security cabinet on Sunday, beseeching ministers to accept the current proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza over the government’s desired offensive in Gaza City, Channel 12 reported Friday.

This person also notes that hostages could have been home now:

The unnamed official added that multiple living hostages could have returned last week and been home safe by now had Israel accepted the deal as it had in the past.

I’m obviously not privy to these people and their opinions, but I do know that Hamas’s psychological warfare is working to a tee now and they know it. They encourage protests against Netanyahu for the hostages they took and are killing. They put pressure on the military leaders to cave and let them live longer. And they actively stoke the fears of the hostage families as long as it also get blamed on Netanyahu. We’ve known this ever since documents were found listing their tactics. I pray that Netanyahu prevails and defeats Hamas once and for all. I also pray that a rescue mission is launched to get the hostages back even if it is risky. And I pray that God miraculously works on behalf of saving these hostages. It appears that is their only hope now.