Following Hamas’s kidnapping of over 250 Israelis during the October 7, 2023, attack, the Israeli government did not make saving the lives of the hostages a priority. 

Internal communications within the upper levels of the Israeli government in the aftermath of the Hamas assault were released by Israel Channel 12. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged the government to “ignore” the hostages. 

Then Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant argued that Israel should not negotiate for the release of the hostages and that rescuing the captives should not be a goal. “We are proposing a plan of action, here are its components: Stabilization of defense — close the border; denial of military and governmental capabilities (for Hamas) and changing defense agreements; creating deterrence — they made a mistake!” He added, “Our response won’t be proportional either; hostages — not among our objectives, but they center and guide us.”

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Gallan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes committed in Gaza. 

The belief in Israel that it cannot prioritize the hostages is a legacy of the Second Lebanon War. Then Israel tried to free the captive soldiers and failed. Tel Aviv made a deal with Hezbollah to release the captives. 

Then-IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi argued not to “attach the hostages and missing to the (war’s) objectives. That needs to be our lesson from the Second Lebanon War.” 

However, after two years of failing to free the Israeli hostages, on Wednesday, Tel Aviv agreed to a prisoner exchange with Hamas. Hamas has agreed to free the 48 remaining captives in exchange for Israel releasing 250 lifetime prisoners and 1,700 Palestinians who were detained over the past two years.