A senior Israeli official involved in the negotiations for the release of the hostages told AFP on Monday that Israel knew with certainty that several dozen hostages held in Gaza were alive. “Dozens (of hostages) are definitely alive,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. “We can’t leave them there for long, they will die,” he added.
Of 251 people kidnapped during the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel on October 7, 116 are still held as hostages in Gaza, including 41 dead, according to the army. After more than eight months of war, the United States United are striving to obtain an agreement on the basis of a draft presented at the end of May by American President Joe Biden and providing, in a first phase, a ceasefire. of six weeks accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza, the release of certain hostages held in Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
A permanent ceasefire refused
While negotiations seem to be stalling, the Israeli negotiator reiterated Israel’s refusal to immediately accept a permanent ceasefire. “We cannot, at this point – before we sign an agreement – commit to ending the war,” the official said. “Because during the first phase, there is a clause that we hold negotiations on the second phase. The second phase is the release of the hostage men and soldiers,” he explained.
The official said the Israeli negotiating team had given the green light to the Biden plan, but the Israeli government had not yet done so. “We hope and expect that Hamas will say yes,” he said while the Palestinian Islamist movement continues to demand the establishment of a permanent ceasefire before any agreement on the release of hostages (in exchange for prisoners held by Israel). “In the event that we do not reach an agreement with Hamas, the IDF [l’armée israélienne, NDLR] continues to fight in the Gaza Strip with no less force than now,” the official added: “In a different way, but in an intense way.”
The war broke out on October 7 when Hamas commandos infiltrating southern Israel from the Gaza Strip carried out an attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to a count. from AFP established from official Israeli data. In retaliation, the Israeli army launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip which left 37,347 dead, mostly civilians, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Hamas-led Gaza government.