I wrote last about the painful difficulty of making decisions regarding our war against Hamas – when we are caught in a situation in which there are no right answers, just imperfect choices.
Nowhere has this been more evident than with regard to a deal to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. The agony of the families of the hostages – most especially those who have had children kidnapped by the terror group – is certainly unbearable. Many of these families have been making demands on the government to do whatever is necessary to free their loved ones.
The hearts of all Israelis have been touched by the anguish of these families and the horrendous plight of innocent kids held by Hamas. But there has been much debate regarding how to accomplish the rescue of at least some of the hostages without weakening our goal of destroying Hamas.
The bottom line here is that taking out Hamas is an existential necessity. It’s not just that a remainder of Hamas in Gaza would rise up to attack us again, as they have said they would do. It’s that Hezbollah and Iran are watching. If we should – Heaven forbid! – fail to uproot Hamas, then we will face major attacks from our north.
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After hours of debate and indecision, late last night (Tuesday) the Cabinet approved a deal to secure the release of some hostages. (Picture of ministers meeting.)
I, and many others in Israel, while certainly prepared to celebrate the return of hostages, feel a certain unease about this deal.
Among the concerns:
[] A ceasefire, which is part of the deal, allows Hamas troops a chance to rest, regroup and rearm, making it more difficult to take them down when we go back to attacking. Humanitarian supplies are supposed to be brought in, but it goes without saying that a good part of these supplies will end up in the hands of Hamas.
It seems to be the case (see more below) that under certain circumstances the ceasefire, which begins with four days, might be extended to a maximum of eight to ten days, which is disconcertingly long. The fighting momentum diminishes.
[] Our troops, which will be stationed in place and not moving as they do during active combat, may be at increased risk of attack. How this would happen is not clear to me, for it seems (I would hope!) that at the first sign of attack from Hamas the ceasefire would be over. Although (and this shows how complicated the situation is), I can imagine people protesting, all right, Hamas fighters shot a few times, but if we stop now, we won’t get the kids back.
[] There are those fearful that once the ceasefire begins, the international community will protest that it should be made permanent.
Israel, it must be noted, has been very clear on intent to resume hostilities after the ceasefire. This was from a statement by Defense Minister Gallant (emphasis added):
“…without continuing [military] pressure, there will be no chance of bringing [home] additional hostages. Therefore, upon my request and that of the defense establishment, the government has included in its decision, the unequivocal demand that immediately after we have exhausted this phase, all operations by the IDF, ISA and all the security forces, will continue in full force – first in order to defeat Hamas, and secondly, in order to create the necessary conditions to bring home additional hostages.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/380717
Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, whose Otzma Yehudit party was the only one to vote against the deal, expressed unhappiness with the idea that some children would be brought out while others remain in captivity – they should all be brought out at once.
What is more, “the existing deal will cause a significant reduction in the chance of returning the remaining hostages held by Hamas, including our soldiers.”
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One voice that I found reassuring was that of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, whom I respect as tough, sharp, and passionately Zionistic. He had originally been opposed to the deal and, after discussion with his faction, reversed his position.
This is what he said (emphasis added):
“It is no secret that before the discussion in the government we thought otherwise, but during the long and in-depth discussion, we were all convinced that the return of the hostages would advance the goals of the war and that the government, the cabinet and the entire security system are committed, without reservation, to the continuation of the war until the destruction of Hamas. We were convinced that the IDF is ready to protect our forces and even to take advantage of the short operational break, to prepare and amass achievements for the continuation of the campaign and that the deal includes clear strategies that will prevent foot-shuffling and future surrender to Sinwar’s manipulations.”
“…we decided that this is a good and positive deal and we voted in favor of it…that this will be an important contribution to raising the spirit and national morale and, in any case, to the total support of the nation for the continuation of the war until we have achieved our overall goal.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/380730
This is quite a statement. It leads to a very strong conviction that Smotrich is privy to information we do not have – which is precisely as it should be.
And so, it is time to hold our breath and see how matters unfold.
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The deal, in short:
Beginning tomorrow (Thursday) morning, a ceasefire will begin. Fifty living Israelis, all children and women, will be released in several batches throughout the four days of the ceasefire. Every day, 12 to 13 hostages will be released.
For every 10 additional Israeli hostages who are released – another day of a pause in the fighting will be given. Israeli officials believe that in addition to the 50 hostages, Hamas can release another 30 Israelis. This would mean we had back 80 out of 239 hostages and would bring the ceasefire to eight days. Israel has put a cap on this process so that the ceasefire does not extend beyond 10 days.
Questions have been raised as to how long Hamas might drag this out, turning up yet another 10 hostages and receiving yet another day of ceasefire. Smotrich raised this issue in the Cabinet meeting, and Gantz reportedly responded with indignation, implying that the government was on top of this.
Sinwar has reportedly pledged to return 30 out of the 40 children believed to be held in Gaza. There has been some question as to where the additional 10 children are; Hamas has said they are in the hands of other groups such as Islamic Jihad and they have yet to be located. Is there reason to believe this? Eight out of 13 mothers will be returned, and an additional 12 elderly women, as well.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/380717
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Israel will be releasing terrorists from our prisons in stages over the course of the four days of ceasefire. I have not seen official confirmation of who would be released but various reports indicated that they would be mostly teenagers (which does not mean they are not terrorists) and women. They do not have blood on their hands but were involved in terrorist actions.
I originally read that no one with Hamas associations would be released, but I have since seen a list of associations of those to be released, and some were Hamas-affiliated. Israel has compiled a list of 300 that might be released; with some 140-150 to be released during these four days.
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The deal includes visits by the Red Cross to those hostages who will not be released, and they will be brought medications.
The IDF will continue to encircle northern Gaza. The IDF and the Shin Bet will continue intelligence gathering operations. Israel has acceded to Sinwar’s demand that no Israeli aircraft – including drones and even observational balloons – fly over the Gaza Strip from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. each day during the ceasefire.
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The bodies of two women who had been taken hostage were found by the IDF last Thursday in the vicinity of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City: Yehudit Weiss. (left) and Cpl. Noa Marciano.
While there is certainly a possibility more hostages may have been killed, we must pray not.
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We see here indication of how very seriously Israel is treating the hostage situation:
“Six Israeli medical centers: Soroka, Schneider, Sheba, Wolfson, Assaf Harofeh, and Ichilov have been instructed to prepare to set up special compounds, separate from the rest of the patients, where the released hostages will be evacuated after their arrival.
“The Health Ministry ordered the six hospitals that will receive women and children from Gaza to establish teams that include a pediatrician, a gynecologist, and a forensic medicine specialist.
“Mental health professionals will also be available to the arriving hostages…
“The health ministry also decided that, to the best of each hospital’s ability, male doctors, nurses, and Arab staff members should not be included in the treatment teams.
“The six hospitals were picked for their unique specialties. (trauma centers, a children’s hospital, treatment of acute victims of sexual assault)…
“The chosen hospitals have sectioned off areas for the hostages and their families, with a special emphasis on rooms for mothers and their children.
“Access to the hostages’ section will be restricted and strictly monitored, with security officers on guard against curious reporters.”
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We have been doing exceedingly well in taking down Hamas, one step at a time. Now we will have a hiatus, but I hope to review some of our accomplishments in my next posting.
We have now lost more than 66 soldiers.
I make special note here of Staff Sergeant Yehonatan Yitzchak Samo, 21, an IDF paratrooper in the 202nd Battalion, who was killed early in the war. He was company commander of one of the first groups to enter the ground war in Gaza. Wounded in battle on November 8, he succumbed two days later. From Karmei Tzur in Judea, he had attended the Neve Shmuel yeshiva in Efrat.
Yehonaton carried an organ donor card, and his parents respected his wishes in the matter. His organs went to six Israelis, including an eight-month old baby.
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Pray to Heaven for Israel, my friends. Pray for the safety of our boys and the rescue of our hostages, and the strength and wisdom of our leaders. Pray with a heart filled with hope, not fear.
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© Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by independent journalist Arlene Kushner. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution.
