In a first, Netanyahu mentions freeing hostages before defeating Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu avoided the word “deal” in a speech extolling the political horizons that have opened as a result of Operation Rising Lion.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

In a first, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned on Sunday the issue of freeing hostages before that of defeating Hamas, although he avoided using the word “deal” when doing so.

Speaking at the headquarters of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), he reordered the list of priorities he had long mentioned when discussing Israel’s goals for the war in the Gaza Strip.

“First of all, to rescue the hostages,” he said. “Of course, we will also have to solve the Gaza issue, to defeat Hamas, but I estimate that we will achieve both tasks.”

Until now, the government had spoken first of destroying the terror organization that led the invasion of Israel on October 7, 2023, massacring 1,200 people and kidnapping 251, sparking the ongoing war.

The switch was immediately noted, especially by the main group that has always demanded the return of the hostages over a military victory against Hamas that would eliminate it as a continuing threat to the security of the country.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum praised what they called Netanyahu’s shift, saying in a statement, “The families of the hostages welcome the fact that after 20 months, the return of the hostages has finally been designated as the top priority by the prime minister.”

“This is a very important statement that must translate into a single comprehensive deal to bring back all 50 hostages and end the fighting in Gaza,” it added.

Only 20 of those being held captive are still believed to be alive.

As noted immediately by several media outlets, Netanyahu, a master wordsmith, talked of “rescuing” hostages rather than referring to any kind of deal to free them.

Last week, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he expected a ceasefire in Gaza “within the next week,” and according to at least one American official, the White House has put forward a deal that would liberate all of the captives while sending Hamas leaders into exile.

Senior Israeli officials told the local news outlet Ynet on Sunday that while discussions regarding deals are “ongoing at all times,” there is “no breakthrough” as yet.

Trump is eager to use the momentum established with the victory over Iran in the recently concluded Operation Rising Lion to expand the number of Arab states that normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords during Trump’s first term as president.

Netanyahu referred to this possibility when he told his Shin Bet audience that “as you surely know, many opportunities have opened for us following this victory,” referring specifically to the Middle East.

Beside removing a terrible danger to Israel, the destruction of a majority of Shiite Muslim Iran’s nuclear sites and ballistic missile programs has also removed a major threat to the Sunni Arab countries in the region, first and foremost Saudi Arabia, which is aware of this.

However, Riyadh has made clear that it is holding back due to the Hamas-Israel war.