GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 465

Take His Advice

It Depends

As the January 20th deadline issued by President Donald Trump comes closer, talk about a new hostage deal is growing as we read in a report from the Jewish News Syndicate:

A draft deal for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza is nearing completion, with the details having been finalized and awaiting the terror group’s final approval.

We need to note that this is a draft that both sides need to agree on before any deal is finalized and Israel apparently hasn’t even received it:

Mediator Qatar has handed Israel and Hamas a “final” draft agreement, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters. A breakthrough was reached in Doha after midnight following talks between Israel’s intelligence services chiefs, President-elect Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy and Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the official said.

An Israeli official subsequently denied to Reuters that Jerusalem received a draft proposal.

The report states what the IDF is preparing for the possibility of a deal:

The Kan News public broadcaster reported on Monday night that Israel Defense Forces officials held meetings at the Health Ministry and with other government bodies to prepare for the possibility that released hostages will arrive at Israeli hospitals following the signing of an agreement.

If we can trust it, an Arab news outlet gave these details:

According to an outline published by Saudi outlet Al Arabiya, under the terms of the phased agreement Israel is to withdraw from specific areas of Gaza over 42 days, increase humanitarian aid and eventually withdraw fully from Gaza. The agreement also includes the release of 50 Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences and the exchange of 50 “female prisoners” for each Israeli female soldier released.

One Israeli politician seems to think those terms are acceptable:

“We knew from the start that we were going to pay high prices for the hostages,” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told JNS at the faction meeting of his Yesh Atid Party at the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday.

“These prices should be paid because there is no alternative; there is no other way of healing Israeli society, and that is when the hostages are home, safely, safe, and sound—all of them,” Lapid stated. “As a society, and as a people, and as a democracy, we are willing to pay the toll.”

Lapid also thinks that a continued terrorist presence is also a good thing because that’s what Israel will get if a permanent ceasefire deal is put into place.

Not Happy

Not everyone in as optimistic as Lapid:

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier on Monday called the emerging ceasefire agreement with Hamas a “catastrophe” for Israel’s security, stressing that his Religious Zionism Party would not sign it.

“The emerging deal is a catastrophe for the national security of the State of Israel,” said Smotrich. “We will not be part of a surrender deal that includes the release of arch-terrorists, halting the war, undermining the achievements that were secured with many lives lost, and abandoning numerous hostages.”

Another political leader sees the deal as turning their back on others who won’t be coming home anytime soon:

National Missions Minister Orit Strook, a fellow member of Smotrich’s party, likewise warned that dozens of hostages could be left behind, “including soldiers who were kidnapped during heroic battles, young people who were kidnapped only because instead of fleeing for their lives, they chose to take care of others.”

As we talked about yesterday, Biden is desperate to get a hostage deal before he leaves office:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden recently discussed the negotiations, with Biden stressing the urgency of a ceasefire and the return of hostages. U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that while an agreement was close, some issues remain unresolved. The goal is to finalize the deal by Jan. 20, the date of Trump’s inauguration.

If I were the PM I would blow him off since this war has taken much longer because of Biden and his staff constantly restricted him from fighting it the way he wanted it fought. And another politician will back Netanyahu’s decision:

United Torah Judaism lawmaker Yaakov Asher, who chairs the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee, said the ultra-Orthodox party would back “any responsible move made by the prime minister.”

“We need as much as possible, as quickly as possible, to save as much as possible the hostages, those captives who are there,” Asher told JNS. “The people of Israel must bring the people home.”

Another Israeli politician thinks getting all the hostages back in one fell swoop is the best option:

Yisrael Beiteinu Party leader Avigdor Liberman stressed in response to a question from JNS at the Knesset on Monday the need for a deal that would lead to the release of all hostages “at one time, in one beat.”

“A one-beat deal is what is necessary, both in terms of security and in terms of the unity of the people,” the opposition lawmaker added.

One father of a hostage who died in Gaza had very strong opinions for Netanyahu:

Zvika Mor, whose 23-year-old son Eitan remains captive in the Gaza Strip, said in a conversation with JNS on Monday afternoon that he opposed the terms of the emerging agreement for two reasons.

“First, it doesn’t bring back all the hostages. The majority of the captives stay there,” said Mor. “And not only that, but Hamas also receives what is most important to it at the start [in the first phase of the agreement], and that is the return of Gazans to the northern Strip. A million Gazans are supposed to return to the northern Strip. This means that we can’t continue fighting there to put military pressure and return the remaining hostages,” according to the father of the hostage.

“Hamas is going to regroup in Gaza and again jeopardize the security of the State of Israel,” said Mor. “We demand to stop the talks with Hamas and fight. Now that Trump has entered, we have all the international legitimacy; we demand deterrence, determination and victory.”

I think he’s totally right. And I pray that Netanyahu heeds his advice.