A fireball and smoke erupt following an Israeli air strike on a building in Gaza City, on August 6, 2022. (Flash90/ Attia Muhammed)
Channel 12 reported senior officials believe chances for an agreement have “increased significantly” amid pressure over potential Gaza City invasion.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel is carefully considering accepting a partial, phased hostage deal with Hamas — which the terror group said it had agreed to on Sunday — rather than launching a full-scale invasion of Gaza City and expanding IDF operations in the Strip, according to a new report.
Senior security officials told Hebrew-language Channel 12 News that despite public statements to the contrary, Israel is seriously weighing a deal that would free 10 of the 20 living hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire.
“Following Hamas’s [acceptance of a phased ceasefire and hostage release] — the chance of a deal in the Witkoff framework has increased significantly,” one official told Channel 12.
Jerusalem has yet to officially acknowledge Hamas’ acceptance of the deal, which would return 10 living hostages and 18 hostages’ bodies to Israel.
In return, the IDF would commit to a 60-day ceasefire and Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian terrorists currently incarcerated in its prisons.
According to a source, at least 140 of those released would be serving life sentences, meaning they had planned or executed deadly terror attacks against Israelis.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, secretly traveled to the United Arab Emirates in recent days to explore the possibility of a deal, KAN News reported.
Some hostage families have voiced strong opposition to the potential deal, insisting that a ceasefire should only be granted in exchange for the immediate release of all captives.
“If Hamas wants a partial deal, that means we have to do exactly the opposite: If Hamas wants a partial deal, that means it takes seriously our intention to capture Gaza City; so it’s exactly what we want to do,” said Zvika Mor, father of captive Eitan.
“Mr. Prime Minister, do not, under any circumstances, go forward with a partial deal, period,” Mor said.
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