This past Saturday morning, four of our five captive female surveillance soldiers – Liri Albag, Daniella Gilboa, Karine Ariev, and Naama Levy – were released by Hamas into the hands of the Red Cross.
The Red Cross then drove the four to IDF personnel in the Gaza Strip, who took them to the Re’im military camp in Israel, where they met their parents. They were then flown by helicopter to the Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva.
It was a joyous sight. All of the 19 to 20-year-old women looked much better than anyone had expected or hoped, even though there is no doubt that Hamas had used all sorts of cosmetic and medical methods to achieve this result. The true state of their health is currently being assessed, but there is certainly reason for optimism.
We were also grateful that in the short ceremony organized by Hamas before handing the four over to the Red Cross, none of the four was ordered to present a short speech full of gratitude to their Hamas (or Islamic Jihad) captors in Arabic – which some observers in Israel feared might occur, but the Israeli authorities had made great diplomatic efforts to prevent.
A less pleasant sight was the large numbers of Hamasniks, in uniforms and armed, running the show, attended by thousands of enthusiastic Gazan civilians.
It is rather shocking to see the carefully placed sets (less heavily destroyed buildings) and props (flags and posters, etc.), after we had been continuously informed by politicians and military men that Hamas had been almost totally crushed and defeated after 15 months of fierce fighting.
We did cause massive destruction in the Gaza Strip, and according to the Hamas Health Ministry, we killed tens of thousands of Gazan civilians.
However, we have totally failed to create a semblance of an alternative rule to Hamas in Gaza, which, despite the staged event on Saturday morning, made Hamas’s performance of bravado look, at least on the surface, authentic.
It’s a depressing thought that for the next five weeks we shall see similar performances be repeated another five times, as the remaining 26 hostages in this phase are released.
Add to this that among these 26 hostages there will be an unknown number of persons in poor health – possibly even in wheelchairs or on stretchers – and in black plastic bags or coffins. We must prepare ourselves for some extremely bumpy emotional experiences.
However, the prospect of the process being cut short either because of an Israeli or Palestinian decision is even more depressing.
This is because it is primarily our hostages – both Israelis and non-Israelis – who are likely to pay for such an event with their lives, while an overwhelming majority of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention camps are most likely to survive, even though their lives are no picnic.
Ever since Itamar Ben-Gvir became National Security Minister just over two years ago, their living conditions have been deliberately downgraded, and I would concede that this was a policy decision that was overdue.
Odeh receiving fire
LAST WEEK MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash-Ta’al) drew fire from Likud MKs and calls for his removal from the Knesset after he welcomed the agreement to return the Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners home.
I agree that it is erroneous to compare innocent hostages to prisoners incarcerated for acts of terror in which innocent civilians were killed, but I do not think it is so terrible a sin that justifies calling for Odeh’s removal from the Knesset.
Odeh had criticized Hamas for its criminal acts on October 7, though not their actual right to struggle against the occupation. He should have expressed his hope that the released Palestinian prisoners do not return to terrorism as they carry out their struggle.
Regarding what will happen after the first stage of the hostage-ceasefire deal is completed, I am concerned about Netanyahu’s true intentions.
Though he keeps making vague statements about returning all the hostages, he also keeps making statements to the effect that Israel will not continue the ceasefire beyond the current stage of the deal.
This is contrary to the agreement signed by Israel and Hamas on January 15, according to which the fighting shall cease completely after all the hostages and the designated Palestinian prisoners are set free.
It is said that Netanyahu’s statements are meant for the ears of Ben-Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Both object, on principle, to the swapping of Palestinians with Jewish blood on their hands for our hostages, and to ending the war in Gaza before Hamas is completely eliminated.
Ben-Gvir has resigned from the government for these reasons but has not concealed his plans to return before long if appropriate conditions are created. Smotrich has not left the government but has stated that if Israel does not change its course after the current stage of the agreement is completed, he too will resign.
Has Netanyahu made up his mind that he is less concerned about the return of all the hostages, before none of them remains alive, than about the survival of his current government? The Left, Center-Left in Israel, and less extreme right-wingers believe that the current situation is a perfect opportunity to get rid of the worst national security minister and finance minister Israel has ever had, both of whom also support policies that a majority of Israeli citizens reject.
It is difficult to fathom that Netanyahu, who on February 17, 2021, stated in an interview with Channel 12 news that “Ben-Gvir will not be a minister in the government,” has, within close to four years, changed his position on the issue and is willing to sacrifice the remaining hostages to bring Ben-Gvir back into the government from which he resigned.
It is also difficult to fathom that Netanyahu, one of Israel’s most successful finance ministers, is willing to make the same sacrifice to keep in the government someone who believes that “the more Israel will promote the Torah and Judaism, God will bestow greater abundance upon us” (Smotrich’s interview to the haredi weekly Mishpacha, December 7, 2022).
We appear to be forced to put our full trust in President Donald Trump to once again push Netanyahu to do what he ought to do of his own volition: bring all the remaining hostages home. If necessary, will the capricious Trump deliver?
The writer worked in the Knesset for many years as a researcher, and has published extensively both journalistic and academic articles on current affairs and Israeli politics. Her most recent book, Israel’s Knesset Members – A Comparative Study of an Undefined Job, was published by Routledge.