Netanyahu stalled hostage swap deal with Hamas to please Ben-Gvir, Smotrich: report

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu missed a chance to reach a hostage swap deal with Hamas in July to appease his far-right coalition partners National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported Sunday.

According to the report, Hamas was willing to release several Israeli hostages without demanding a complete ceasefire in return. The report suggested that Hamas’ readiness at the time was an attempt to link the first and second phases of the US ceasefire proposal, which included humanitarian aid.

The report did not provide further details, although Hamas repeatedly said it would only release Israeli prisoners if the agreement led to a complete cessation of the Israeli attack on Gaza.

The US proposal then included three stages: the first included an immediate ceasefire; the release of women, elderly and injured Israeli hostages; and a prisoner exchange, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of Gaza. It also included increasing humanitarian aid, rebuilding essential services and facilitating the return of civilians to their homes across Gaza.

The second phase required the release of all remaining hostages and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip to finally end the crisis.

The third stage included several years of reconstruction in Gaza and the return of the remains of Israeli soldiers.

KAN said Netanyahu rejected the proposal, particularly opposing Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, where areas such as the Philadelphia Corridor and the Netzarim axis are becoming obstacles to the ceasefire process.

An unnamed Israeli source quoted by the broadcaster said Netanyahu’s refusal to accept the deal was intended to please Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who had threatened to leave the government if the deal was signed.

Mediation efforts led by the US, Egypt and Qatar have so far failed to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner swap agreement, but Washington maintains that Israel’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on October 16 could lead to a breakthrough in the talks.

Hamas, however, says the conflict will only end when Israel ends its military campaign in the blockaded enclave, where nearly 44,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

The second year of the Gaza genocide has drawn growing international condemnation, with figures and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid supplies as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.

On Thursday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case before the International Court of Justice over the brutal war in the Gaza Strip.

*The text was written by Rania Abu Shamala

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