Israel is considering urging Hamas to broaden the list of “humanitarian” hostages to be freed during the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Currently, the first stage of the deal includes the release of 33 hostages, eight of whom are already deceased. The hostages on this list are elderly men, individuals suffering from injuries or illnesses, and both civilian and military women. However, based on testimonies from those recently released, Israel is increasingly worried about the condition of other hostages who were left off the list, including those who are in serious health or suffering from injuries.
As reported by Channel 12 News, diplomatic officials are looking into the possibility of pressing Hamas to expand the release list to include hostages in critical health or those in urgent need of medical care.
At the same time, senior Israeli ministers, including Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich and Settlement Minister Orit Strock, proposed in a Cabinet meeting that should Hamas fail to uphold the agreement and not release the hostages as promised, Israel should arrest the terrorists who were freed under the deal.
However, defense officials have cautioned against taking hasty actions that might affect the chances of releasing the remaining hostages. They emphasized, “We suggest not acting according to feeling, but with logic. This may impact the lives of the hostages. We want to release as many hostages as possible.”
{Matzav.com Israel}