Israel and Hamas sparred on Wednesday over the blame for the holdup on a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal on Wednesday as some hostage families marked a second Hanukkah without their loved ones.
The Prime Minister’s Office denied Hamas’s statement that accused Israel of rejecting a hostage deal due to introducing new terms.
Hamas said, “The negotiations in Doha have progressed well. We have shown flexibility but Israel has set new conditions regarding the withdrawal from Gaza, the release of prisoners, and a ceasefire. These new conditions are delaying reaching an agreement.”
The PMO said in response, “The Hamas terror organization is lying again, going back on the understandings that have already been reached and continues to create difficulties for the negotiations. Despite this, Israel will continue tirelessly in its efforts to return all of our hostages.”
Netanyahu recalled Israeli negotiating team
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled the Israeli negotiating team after 10 days in Doha, for consultations in Israel.
A senior Israeli official said the return of the team to Israel was intended to facilitate a status assessment of the negotiations and determine whether decisions by the political echelon, such as expanding the team’s mandate, were necessary. “The team is not returning because of a blowup of negotiations,” the official said.
Family members of hostages held by Hamas, who gathered in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square on Wednesday to light the hanukkiah, called for a hostage deal as reports and rumors surrounding progress on a possible deal continued to circulate.
“There have never been better conditions for a deal. This is a historic opportunity. Let’s not miss it,” said Udi Goren, whose cousin Tal Haimi was killed on October 7 and whose body is still held by Hamas.
The lighting ceremony was later moved to a different location due to a security threat.
“Just yesterday, Israel’s leading analyst reported that Israel’s deterrence is at an all-time high. This is precisely why we, the families, believe we are in the strongest position ever to secure a deal,” Goren added.
Support from the US
He said support by US President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump has “created an unprecedented opportunity.”
“Hamas’s threats have been diminished, Hezbollah and its leadership eliminated, and [former Hamas chief Yahya] Sinwar is no longer with us. We’ve witnessed the implosion of Syria, and Iran’s ‘ring of fire’ has been almost destroyed,” he added.
Shir Siegel, whose father, Keith, is still held hostage and whose mother, Aviva,was released in the November 2023 deal, also stressed the importance of the current moment.
“There are moments in history when every decision is fateful, and these days are precisely such moments. Every moment of delay or hesitation, every postponement in negotiations or the process of bringing our brothers and sisters home could cost lives; and deprive us of the ability to provide the murdered and the fallen with a proper burial in our land.”
She added: “Recently, a priceless opportunity has emerged to bring everyone home with strength and power,” calling on leaders to do everything to “bring everyone home.”
“My father’s life and the lives of all the hostages are in your hands. Don’t miss this opportunity.”
Lishay Miran Lavi, whose husband, Omri, is still held by Hamas, emphasized the moral aspects of a deal, saying that she has always believed, and now believes more than ever, that no one has the right “to go out and make a decision against saving lives.”
“We are talking about human lives, about such wide circles of people who cannot move forward because our loved ones are still there. After so many days, and with no end in sight, everyone – the living, the fallen, and the murdered – is a humanitarian matter.”
Hanukkiah lighting in Tel Aviv
At a hanukkiah lighting at Beit Halochem in Tel Aviv with wounded soldiers, President Isaac Herzog said, “Together with you, I yearn, work, and cry out in every possible way for the immediate return of our brothers and sisters being held hostage in Gaza. I don’t believe that last year during Hanukkah anyone thought that 100 of our brothers and sisters would still be in the hands of Hamas terrorists. We are in a critical period for their return... The hostages are in clear and immediate danger to their lives. With every passing day, the threat to their lives increases.
“We face a cruel enemy that seeks in every way to harm us and to obstruct the return of the hostages, using psychological tactics in negotiations,” he continued.
“Against this enemy, I know that we are working, and must continue to work, with creativity, determination, responsibility, and boundless commitment to bring them back home by any means necessary, whether to the embrace of their families or to be laid to rest with dignity.
Herzog issued a call to leadership to act with all its might, “using every tool at our disposal, to secure a deal. This is your duty. This is your responsibility.”
The IDF announced on Wednesday that the army had found and destroyed two large offensive underground Hamas tunnels in the southern and central areas of Gaza.
During the strikes, a terrorist cell attempting to plant an explosive device was struck, along with anti-tank positions and terrorist infrastructure, the military said.
Separately, an IAF aircraft conducted a precision strike, guided by Military Intelligence and the Southern Command, targeting a Hamas terrorist in the al-Furqan neighborhood of Gaza City.
“Prior to the strike, extensive measures were taken to minimize the risk to civilians, including the use of precision weaponry, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence. The IDF remains committed to acting with strength and determination against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip,” the army said.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking at the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border, said the security of the corridor will remain in IDF hands.
“There will be no Hamas governance here and no Hamas military presence. In Gaza as well, we will ensure buffer zones and commanding positions; and alongside this, we will act to bring all the hostages home – and to defeat Hamas,” he said.