Politicians and various organizations sharply criticized the decision of the expanded War Cabinet to approve visits to the Nukhba terrorist prisoners on Thursday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed approving the visits, which was supported by the majority of cabinet ministers, except ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who opposed it.
Ben-Gvir commented on the decision, saying, "These visits harm deterrence and negotiations with Hamas, raise the morale of the terrorists, may lead to riots in the prison, and beyond that, it is a violation of Israeli sovereignty, and an opening for international intervention in other issues in the future. No country that holds dear its sovereignty and security would allow this to happen."
Smotrich, who did not directly comment on the visitation approval, criticized the Mossad and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) after the cabinet discussion, saying that there are those in Israel who "repeatedly debase Israel and erode its positions and only make Sinwar toughen his and lower the chance of returning the hostages. The time has come for the Mossad and the Shin Bet to go back to doing what they were trained to do: eliminate the leaders of Hamas all over the world, not in negotiations that are conducted irresponsibly and harm Israel's security."
Yisrael Beytenu Chairman Avigdor Liberman posted to X, saying, "Throughout the day in all the news broadcasts, we heard that the political-security cabinet met to discuss the abductee deal. At the end of the meeting, the political-security cabinet decided to approve visits to the Nukhba terrorists. This is truly a 'full-on right-wing' government."
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar also criticized the move, saying, "The decision to allow visits to the Nukhba terrorists while our hostages suffer in enemy captivity and do not receive a single visit. It is delusional and unacceptable. As long as Hamas refuses to allow the Red Cross to visit the hostages, visits to the terrorists must not be allowed at all."
Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton from the New Hope Party wrote, "This is total [moral] bankruptcy. Allowing visits to the Nukhba terrorists who massacred, raped, and blasphemed is the weakness and failure of the war cabinet and the prime minister. Instead of having fixed, hardened positions and increasing military pressure to return the hostages and end the war, the Israeli government is giving it away 'for free.' That's not how you win a war!"
Hostage family organizations slam government
Forum Tikva, which brings together the families of hostages, expressed shock at the decision's approval.
"Our dear children have been abducted for 201 days in the Hamas tunnels. There is no information about them, and even the Hamas medicines were not allowed to be brought in," they said. "We demand that the cabinet withdraw from this crazy decision and condition the visits of foreign observers only after there are visits to our hostages in Gaza."
Almagor Victims of Terror organization Chairman Meir Indore and Dr. Aryeh Bacharach, a bereaved father and a war orphan, sent a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu in response, saying, "The message that comes out from such a decision is that these are legitimate fighters and where their actions are part of the accepted norms. Therefore, we ask not to approve such a visit / such visits as long as there is no debate, and as long as you have not heard our voice."
The Choosing Life Forum of the bereaved families and victims of terrorism also responded, saying, "This is a bad and dangerous decision that worsens the state of Israeli deterrence against terrorism. The Hamas terrorists who carried out the massacre attacks have no right to visitations and certainly not in a situation where Hamas is holding hostages."
They also called for the "worsening of the conditions of incarceration for all terrorists in prisons, and to deprive them of all privileges that are not required by virtue of international treaties Israel has committed to. We demand that the cabinet stand firm in the face of external pressures and in no way allow visits to the Nukhba terrorists."
In the forum, they added: "It is better for Britain to focus on arresting the senior Hamas officials who are within its borders and continue to operate from there, even after October 7, raising funds for Hamas, inciting and encouraging terrorism. The mobilization in favor of Hamas is a testament to the [moral] poverty of Britain."
According to the approved proposal, more than two British observers will conduct a practice visit to some of the Nukhba prisoners in Israeli prisons. An Israeli judge will accompany the visitors, and Israel will confirm in advance the identity of the observers.
At the same time, a senior Israeli official stated that Israel does not agree to visits by the Red Cross to the Nukhba prisoners as long as there are no similar visits to the hostages held in Gaza.
The official also stated that the visit would be carried out at the request of the British government to make it clear that Israel is not violating international law when it comes to incarcerating Nukhba prisoners.
The British government asked for the visits to be held as part of a procedure designed to determine whether there was justification for imposing an arms embargo on Israel.