Shas leader Aryeh Deri urged Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to proceed with the next stage of the agreement with Hamas to guarantee the safe return of every hostage to Israel during a faction meeting on Monday regarding the law to honor Rav Ovadia Yosef zt”l. “On the one hand, we want to dismantle Hamas and strip it of its military and governmental capabilities, but on the other hand, the hostages are always in front of our eyes,” he emphasized.
Deri pointed out that in the initial agreement, nearly 100 hostages were brought back, though he admitted, “not everyone agreed with us.”
He acknowledged the challenges involved, saying, “I understand the concerns—this is a very difficult deal with significant costs—but we are obligated to save lives,” and emphasized that Israel is fully committed to the effort.
“We are making a great effort to bring back the last of the hostages. We do not act with declarations or threats. We do not threaten anyone! We are obligated to this and will do everything in our power to bring back the last of the hostages, both those alive and those who are not,” Deri asserted.
As for the execution of this mission, he said, “I don’t ask questions. We know what we need to do. Even those who didn’t believe it would happen see that it is happening, and with God’s help, it will continue to happen.”
At the National Economy Conference of the National Federation, Construction and Housing Minister Yitzchok Goldknopf expressed unwavering support for Netanyahu, as reported by N12. “Netanyahu, we are behind you, and we are with you. We do not know what is good or not good. For any deal you pursue, we are with you. We must work toward the release of all the hostages, down to the very last one. We pray that all the hostages will return home safely.”
In a post on X/Twitter, United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni voiced the urgent need to bring the hostages back from Gaza, responding to Religious Zionist Party director-general Yehoda Vald, who had criticized the chareidi backing of the hostage deal. “This is our position; this is the directive of the great Torah sages. We stand firmly behind it, and it has nothing to do with all these fabricated claims that it is connected to other matters,” Gafni clarified.
Vald had earlier criticized the deal, saying, “Where is the audacity?! To leave a note and walk away, to call for a ceasefire, knowing that Hamas will remain and grow stronger. After all, we are the ones who will fight and die before and after the next massacre. Not them.” He added that the chareidi support for the hostage-ceasefire agreement was aimed at “getting applause from the left” and signaling not to press for a meaningful draft law.
{Matzav.com Israel}