Cautious optimism was noted regarding Hamas's response to the proposed hostage deal, with a security official stating that it is the best offer on the table so far. Former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror addressed the situation recently on Nissim Mishal and Tal Shalev's program on 103FM radio.
At the beginning of the interview, Amidror stated, "When we talk about ending the first stage, it does not mean that all Hamas terrorists have been destroyed. However, we are very close to destroying Hamas's systems. There will still be 20,000-30,000 terrorists with weapons, occasionally firing a remaining rocket from somewhere, but they are not living in an organized system. We went to Shifa Hospital two months after we left northern Gaza.
"The first time, it took us two months to get there with two and a half divisions, the second time with two battalions," he continued. "Ending the first stage means moving on to the next stage, where we will occasionally return to Gaza, and the IDF will not need to fight underground but will return to very clear objectives."
Israel's two main goals for the outcome of the war
"The hostage deal is not related to this. Hamas will accept it or not based on how it assesses its situation. Hamas must conclude that a ceasefire is beneficial. It seems that now they have reached a point where a ceasefire is better for them. Therefore, we do not know whether this response is genuine, whether they are under more pressure and ready to accept what they were not willing to accept a month ago, or if this is all just an attempt to destabilize Israeli society further."
"I don't think we should agree to end the fighting completely," Amidror continued. "We can agree to a long ceasefire, as long as it takes to release the hostages - two or three months. We should agree to a long ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages and then return to fighting in a completely different position. We will need to fight differently. The State of Israel has decided that it is working on two parallel goals: eliminating Hamas's military capability, in which we have made great strides, and simultaneously releasing the hostages."
Amidror concluded, "If, unfortunately, one mission was less successful, and we release only some of the hostages, we must continue the military pressure to ensure that at least one of the goals is achieved. Sinwar currently decides whether to release them or not, with all due respect to the protests throughout Israel. Once there is a possibility to release the hostages, we must stop the mission of eliminating Hamas' military force."
"Hezbollah's announcement regarding a ceasefire in the South is an act of deceit," Amidror added. "They claimed that if the fighting in Gaza resumes, they will continue firing. Such an arrangement with the North is temporary."
Edited by Michal Kadoch for 103FM radio.