The negotiators of the Government of Israel would have sent to Qatar and Egypt, countries that act as mediators of the Jewish State with the Hamas organization, a ceasefire proposal that would last two months. In exchange, and according to a plan that would include various phases, Hamas would proceed to release the hostages still in its hands.
The proposal was revealed by the American news portal Axios and could not be confirmed by official Israeli sources.
The initiative, which would include the release of Palestinian prisoners, comes at a time when protests by the hostages' relatives have been increasing and after cracks have emerged within the war cabinet over the timeliness of the strategy. to free the hostages.
The most recent sign of dissent was that of the former head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Gadi Eisenkot. For this soldier, it is an “illusion” to trust that the hostages will be released by methods other than those of the ceasefire. Eisenkot, who is part of the war cabinet, aimed directly at Beniamin Netanyahu, whom he considers a hostage of his far-right partners.
These sectors, represented by ministers such as Bezalel Smotrich or Itamar Ben-Gvir, demand that the prime minister continue with the military offensive on Gaza. They combine this desire to escalate the war with calls for the “voluntary” emigration of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and their replacement by Israeli settlements. For these sectors, the hostages in the hands of Hamas are nothing more than an obstacle to their objectives.
The Israeli Government's strategy is the subject of strong criticism from the relatives of the hostages. Yesterday, a group of them stormed a session of the parliamentary finance committee in Jerusalem, demanding that lawmakers do more to try to free their loved ones. The action, in which about 20 people participated, indicates the growing internal dissent in the fourth month of the Gaza war.
In this action, a woman showed photos of three relatives who were among the 253 people captured in the Hamas attack on October 7. About 130 remain in captivity after others returned home during a truce in November, although Israel says 27 have died in Gaza. “Only one that I would like to recover alive, one in three!” cried the woman. Other protesters, dressed in black T-shirts, held signs that read: “You will not sit here while they die there.” “Release them now, now, now!” they chanted.
The efforts of the United States, Qatar and Egypt to mediate another liberation seemed until yesterday to be doomed to failure. Families and supporters have begun camping in front of Prime Minister Beniamin Netanyahu's house, as well as in front of the Knesset (Parliament) building. The usual weekend protests demanding the release of hostages have been reinforced in recent weeks by demonstrations calling for elections that could topple the government. On Saturday night, thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem, calling for elections. In the Knesset yesterday, parliamentary ushers, often quick to remove hecklers or protesters, stood by.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, after this terrorist organization launched an attack on Israeli settlements bordering the Gaza Strip. In that massacre, 1,200 Israelis perished and another 253 people were kidnapped. In the days following the attack, the Israeli Army occupied and bombed the Gaza Strip, an operation that has already cost the lives of more than 25,000 people, according to Hamas sources.
