Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is convinced a deal with Hamas is not possible, and is seeking a decisive military victory in Gaza. Last week, Tel Aviv and Washington said they were unwilling to implement any phased agreement with Hamas, and that all remaining Israeli hostages had to be released at once.
An Israeli official said Netanyahu is “pushing for the release the hostages through decisive military victory.” They added that in Tel Aviv “an understanding is forming that Hamas is not interested in a deal.”
The report comes days after another senior official said that Israel would only be willing to make an agreement with Hamas if the group agreed to give up all remaining hostages. Hamas still holds about 20 Israeli prisoners, and the bodies of several dozen more.
In two previous ceasefires, which resulted in the release of over 100 Israeli captives, the parties agreed to phased deals that saw small groups of hostages released each week.
Israeli efforts to free its hostages with military operations have largely turned deadly for the prisoners, with IDF forces killing several hostages, and members of Hamas executing some captives to prevent their release.
The White House adopted Tel Aviv’s new position on negotiations. “President Trump now believes that everybody ought to come home at once – no piecemeal deals. That doesn’t work,” the president’s envoy Steve Witkoff explained. “Now we have to get all the 20 [live hostages] at the same time… we think that we have to shift this negotiation to all or nothing so that everybody comes home. We think it is going to be successful and we have a plan around it.”
