Israel's PM Netanyahu Scuttled Hostage Deal Despite All Parties' Agreement
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly backed out of a comprehensive hostage deal in July 2024, despite agreement from Hamas leader Sinwar and the Israeli negotiation team. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum had sought the ICC prosecutor's help to cancel arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. The deal's collapse is attributed to Netanyahu's reluctance to end the war and potential political calculations regarding the US election. The article suggests this led to continued suffering for hostages and a decline in Netanyahu's political standing.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu scuttled a comprehensive hostage deal in July 2024 despite agreement from all parties.
- The Hostages and Missing Families Forum asked the ICC prosecutor to cancel arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
- Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir allegedly threatened to dissolve the government if a deal was signed.
- Netanyahu may have delayed the deal due to war aims and US political considerations, including Trump's potential return.
- The article criticizes Netanyahu's handling of the war and its impact on hostages and Israel's standing.
A comprehensive deal to secure the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, which had the agreement of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Hamas leader Sinwar, and the Israeli negotiation team, collapsed in late July 2024. The agreement reportedly included creative solutions for control of the Philadelphi Corridor and an Israeli military desire for a ceasefire. To facilitate the deal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum approached Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, to request the cancellation of arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and Gallant. Khan reportedly agreed to consider canceling the warrants, potentially influenced by a personal complaint of sexual harassment against an Israeli involved in the process, which he suspected might be linked to Israeli intelligence. The families also arranged for massacre survivors to travel to The Hague to provide testimony. However, the negotiations ultimately failed due to what the article describes as a "built-in flaw": while the Israeli negotiation team viewed problems as requiring solutions, Netanyahu saw them as opportunities to avoid reaching an agreement. The article suggests that Netanyahu and Hamas engaged in a similar dynamic, with Netanyahu ultimately paying the price for the deal's failure, leading to further suffering and death for hostages. The article further alleges that ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir secretly pressured Netanyahu, threatening to dissolve the government if a deal was signed, a threat the author dismisses as a "bluff" to mislead security officials and the Biden administration. The author speculates that the true reasons for the deal's collapse included its timing, being too late for hostages but too early for Netanyahu's war aims, and its potential to be perceived as ending the war prematurely. Additionally, Netanyahu may have been influenced by the US political landscape, particularly Donald Trump's potential return to the presidency, and a desire not to strengthen Biden's position. The article concludes by contrasting Netanyahu's initial promise of "absolute victory" with his later slogan of "not surrendering," suggesting a significant decline in his political standing and a negative impact on Israel.
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