Amos Yadlin, the former head of Israeli military intelligence, called on Sunday for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip in order to conclude a deal to return prisoners in the Strip, saying that it could be resumed after that in a more massive and severe manner.
“We must end the war in order to conclude an exchange deal,” Yadlin said in statements he made to Israeli Army Radio.
Despite the massacres and extermination carried out by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip for about 15 months, Yadlin – who served as head of Israeli military intelligence between 2006 and 2010 – said, “Those who do not have a heart must have a mind, and the mind says that activating the Israeli army will be more effective.” “Massive and effective when there are no kidnappers.”
The former head of Israeli military intelligence stressed the possibility of resuming the war on the Gaza Strip after the return of the Israeli prisoners detained in the Strip. These statements reflect Israeli manipulation and a prior intention not to adhere to the exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance after its conclusion, once the detainees are restored.
Demands and demonstrations
In a related context, Israeli Army Radio quoted the head of the Jewish Agency, Major General Reserve Doron Almog, as saying, “We should have returned the kidnapped people a long time ago.”
Doron said that all “saboteurs”, referring to Palestinian prisoners, must be released to the Gaza Strip and the war should be ended.
In criticism of the Israeli security systems, Doron said that the attack of October 7, 2023 “did not happen because we released the terrorists whose hands were stained with blood, but rather because we failed and were not prepared,” as he put it.
Yesterday, Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated in several Israeli cities against their government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that it conclude a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.
Haaretz newspaper said that a number of representatives in the Knesset participated in the demonstrations, and leaders in the Israeli opposition accused Netanyahu’s government of sacrificing detainees and soldiers in Gaza and not wanting to end the war.
In a conference they organized in front of the Defense Ministry headquarters, the families of detainees in Gaza also accused Netanyahu and his government of obstructing the completion of the exchange deal for “political considerations.”
Discussions and accusations
In addition, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, yesterday, Saturday, discussed with the delegation of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip and ways to push them forward.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, in a statement, that the Qatari Prime Minister received in Doha the movement’s delegation for ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya.
The ministry added that during the interview, the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza were reviewed, and ways to push them forward were discussed to ensure reaching a clear and comprehensive agreement that puts an end to the ongoing war in the Strip.
Channel 12 reported from Israeli sources that Tel Aviv is working on developing a mini-exchange deal before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
Last Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of setting new issues and conditions related to withdrawal (from Gaza), a ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of displaced persons, which delayed reaching an agreement that was available.
Hamas confirmed, through a statement at the time, that this was happening despite the fact that the negotiations in Doha were proceeding seriously, and despite it showing responsibility and flexibility to make them successful.
More than once, negotiations on the prisoner exchange deal, which is being conducted with Qatari-Egyptian-American mediation, faltered as a result of Netanyahu’s insistence on “continuing control over the Philadelphia border axis between Gaza and Egypt and the Rafah crossing in Gaza, and preventing the return of Palestinian faction fighters to northern Gaza by inspecting the returnees through the Netzarim axis.” In the middle of the sector.
For its part, Hamas insists on a complete withdrawal of Israel from the Gaza Strip and a complete cessation of the war in order to accept any agreement.
Tel Aviv holds more than 10,300 Palestinians in its prisons, while it is estimated that there are 100 Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas announced the killing of dozens of detainees in random Israeli raids.
With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 153,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded – most of them children and women – and more than 11,000 missing, amid massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
