GNITN – Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 51
Hamas Playing Cruel Games

14 More Hostages Released

It is reported as tense because Hamas seems to be wavering in holding up things on its part of the bargain. We read more this report from i24new.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700976707-liveblog-israel-receives-3rd-list-of-hostages-returned-abductees-reunite-with-families):

Israeli hostages held by the terrorist organization Hamas were eventually released late Saturday night, followed by an exchange of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli government also announced it received the list of hostages to be released on Sunday, the third day of a ceasefire deal with Hamas, which includes the entry of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip by the hundreds and inspected by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

In total, Hamas handed over 41 hostages held in Gaza to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Friday and Saturday, including Israeli citizens and other nationals. Israel, for its part, released 78 Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement, concluded Wednesday under the aegis of Qatar with the support of the United States and Egypt, would allow 50 hostages held by Hamas to be released for 150 Palestinian prisoners throughout the four days of this truce, with the option to be extended.

Toying With Everyone

According to an editorial from David Horowitz writing for The Times Of Israel, Hamas continues to play games with the deal as Saturday’s release almost didn’t happen until Israel threatened to start the ground offensive again. Here is how Horowitz details things (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamass-hostage-manipulations-show-how-much-control-it-continues-to-hold-over-gaza/): amas

Toying not just with Israel, and especially the families of those who had been told to expect their loved ones’ releases, Hamas also made fools of the Qatari and Egyptian interlocutors, and even compelled the leader of the free world to get directly involved, with US President Joe Biden working the phones to get the process back on track. With Israel reportedly threatening to resume the ground offensive if the hostages were not in Israeli hands by midnight, Hamas deigned to go through with Saturday’s phase, while breaching a reported commitment not to release hostage children without their hostage mothers.

As of this writing, there’s no knowing how Sunday’s phase three of the releases will play out, if at all. As IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Saturday night, “nothing is final until it actually happens.” Or to quote Biden on Friday, “I don’t trust Hamas to do anything right. I only trust Hamas to respond to pressure.”

As I keep saying, Hamas is playing by the rules of what is called hudna which allows for changing an agreement if it suits them with no warning to the other side. Trust but verify is the adage of the day and Israel is fully aware how things could go and are prepared to bring the hammer down on Hamas if need be.

Upgraded To Moderate Condition

The one hostage released separately because of her health. Her brother was supposed to be released as well per the agreement agreed upon with Hamas of not releasing one relative and not another. Going back to another article from i24news.tv we read more about how the terrorist are playing with the families of the hostages by saying who will be released and how, getting their hopes up and letting them down (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700983879-maya-regev-released-from-hamas-captivity-rushed-to-hospital-for-emergency-surgery):

Maya was listed in moderate condition. The director of Soroka hospital, Dr. Shlomi Kodesh, said that Maya's life is not in danger, and that she will have to undergo surgery. Dr. Kodesh added that Maya is expected to make a full recovery, and that the hospital staff are providing her and her family with their full support.

21-year-old Maya was released alone, contrary to the ceasefire agreement which detailed that siblings would not be separated. Hamas claims that they were unable to locate her brother Itay, 18, who was kidnapped with her at the Nova festival.

Hila Rotem Shoshani, another one of the 13 Israelis released Saturday, was freed without her mother Raaya, also in violation of the ceasefire terms, after Hamas claimed they were unable to locate her.

Getting Out Of Gaza Was Tense

It appears those “innocent civilians” were less that agreeable when the first set of released hostages were transferred out of Gaza as we read in this report from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1700990753-we-thought-we-were-about-to-be-lynched-by-mob-on-way-out-of-gaza):

The first group of Israeli hostages, released from Hamas captivity on Friday, said Gazan mobs hurled stones at the Red Cross vehicles carrying them to the border crossing.

"Until the very last moment we weren't sure we would make it, we thought they would lynch us en route to Israel," an unnamed freed hostage was cited in Israeli media as saying.

The Red Cross group was tasked with handing over the hostages from Palestinian terrorists to the Israeli military personnel awaiting them at the Egyptian border. The group was on the receiving end of probing question from Israeli officials and media following its performance during the hostage crisis.

As I listened to one exchange between an i24news.tv reporter and an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) representative, the ICRC rep was evasive on why they wouldn’t contact Hamas to ask why they can’t see the remaining hostages to give proof of life as agreed to by all parties. On the ICRC web site, they say they are “an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence and to provide them with assistance,” but as they return Hamas prisoners they clearly have Hamas flags on top of their vans. Many say that the local Red Cross in Gaza is made up of Hamas supporters and they won’t help Israel if they can help it.

Hamas Wants Truce To Continue

As we expected, Hamas wants the ceasefire to extend past the 4th day. The question is will they continue to modify the rules as they go as they have so far or actually do what they agreed to do? No one knows, but it appears that Israel is willing to agree for an extension to get more hostages back as we read in this article from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1701026598-hamas-seeks-to-extend-truce-at-end-of-original-four-day-ceasefire-report):

Hamas reportedly announced in a statement Sunday evening that the terrorist group is seeking to extend the truce beyond the initial four-day period in order to secure the release of additional Palestinian prisoners.

One hundred and seventeen Palestinian prisoners have been released so far and around 40 are expected to be released on Monday, but Israel has a list of another 150 prisoners it could release as part of an extension of the truce.

For each additional day of pause in fighting, Hamas will have to release 10 additional hostages.

The agreement approved by the Israeli cabinet stipulates that the truce can be limited to a maximum of 10 days and the release of 300 prisoners before a new vote by ministers is necessary.

Thirteen hostages kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas have arrived in Israel, the Israeli army announced on Sunday, specifying that four others were on the way.

This is the third time that Israeli and foreign hostages have been released in three days, as part of this truce that began on Friday.

Hostages Greeted With Joy, But Remaining Ones Are Still On Israel’s Minds

Even with the most recent release of hostages, there are quite a few hostages still held and Israelis know that all too well. One child, 4-year-old Israeli-American Avigail Idan, was released, but her journey started with seeing her parents killed in front of her. We get more on her in this Times Of Israel article (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/israelis-greet-newly-freed-hostages-with-joy-but-cant-forget-those-left-behind/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site):

Avigail’s grandfather Carmel Idan said he could not believe his eyes at first when he saw pictures of Avigail on her way back to Israel. “It was just wow. I didn’t believe it until I saw it,” he told reporters outside his home. “Now I’m calm, but not completely calm because there is happiness, but there is also the absence of Roee and Smadar.” Avigail’s parents were murdered by Hamas terrorists at their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7.

Carmel said he had originally understood that Avigail, 4, would be released in the first phase of the hostage releases, on Friday, “and we were looking. She’s not there! What disappointment. Russian roulette. We were waiting on the second day. Again, Avigail isn’t there! We couldn’t believe it.”

Carmel echoed what many others said as more hostages are still in captivity:

While it was an incredible joy to see Avigail on her way home, he said, “There are many people who haven’t yet come back. I greatly want them to be returned and that the IDF finish what it has promised: all the hostages [back] and Hamas [destroyed].”

Carmel then added this on what would happen when he finally sees his granddaughter:

He said he had “an open wound that will never heal” with the murders of Smadar and Roee.

Asked what he would tell his granddaughter when he is allowed to see her, he said: “I won’t tell her anything. I’ll kiss her, stroke her, hug her. Speak, no? There’s nothing to say.”

Getting Hostages Back Doesn’t Mean We Forget

I have to say that I am truly happy that hostages are being returned to their loved ones, but we must not forget a few things. We must not forget how they became hostages in the first place. They were ripped from their families or friends in violent ways with many watching parents killed and friends or loved ones hunted down and killed along the way. The elderly were beaten while they were taken and then held in bad conditions. Others died while in captivity as the terrorists apparently didn’t want to get them treatment for cancer among other things. And we must not forget that at least 1,200 died and will never be seen alive by their families as this 4 year old girl must deal with now. What about the remaining hostages? Do we forget about them as well? Hamas only wants deals that are tilted in their favor and has no problems with offering the release of people who shouldn’t have been there in the first place in exchange for criminals that are most likely going to go back to doing what got them put in prison in the first place, making the West Bank even more dangerous. At the end of the day, Israel must not wait for Hamas to barter for more time and instead insist on a one-for-one exchange going forward. Will Hamas agree to that? Unfortunately, they won’t. All I can end with is pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Until that happens, peace and safety is a pipe dream.