From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
Gantz: Israel still open to hostage deal, won’t allow political considerations to interfere
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Following the beginning of combat operations in Rafah, war cabinet minister Benny Gantz states that while Israel is willing to “continue and expand” the fighting “as necessary,” Jerusalem is still open to a hostage deal.
“Yesterday, we started a military operation in the Rafah area, which will continue and expand as necessary. I wish to encourage all the IDF soldiers as always. I am convinced that they will fulfill their mission and I pray for their safe return,” Gantz says in a video address.
“At any stage where we can reach an outline for the return of our hostages, we will do so. This task has the highest priority,” he continues.
“The negotiating team that went to Cairo doesn’t just have a mandate to listen — it has an obligation to turn over every stone and act to bring about an outline. We are all working to make this happen, day by day,” Gantz asserts, insisting that “we will never despair and we will never allow political considerations to be brought into this sacred issue.”
“We are not waging a tactical battle against one regiment or another,” he continues. “Our achievements, even if they take a long time to achieve, must be strategic — and the return of our hostages is the first strategic goal, alongside the need to remove the threat of Hamas and make sure that such a threat does not reemerge.”
Turning to the north, Gantz states that returning the displaced home “before the start of the school year is on the table, and will remain on it as long as I am part of the government.”
That comment comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told Gantz yesterday that there is no guarantee that the evacuees will return home by September 1, drawing anger.
