Herzog says there’s ‘clear potential’ to reach second phase of hostage deal

President Isaac Herzog says there is “clear potential” to move ahead with the next stages of the ceasefire-hostage release deal after the six-week first stage.

“I believe that there is a clear potential of getting to the second stage. There is a desire, and we meant it when we signed the agreement,” Herzog tells interviewer Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“We know there are challenges and arguments,” he says, noting the fears among those in Israel over the release of a large number of convicted Palestinian security prisoners. “This is the whole equation: we are asking to release women and children, and for that we are paying with terrorists — barbaric terrorists.”

Herzog says that Israelis still “agree that this has to be done — we want them home, it’s the top priority of the nation of Israel,” pointing in the audience to Daniel Lifshitz, the grandson of Oded and Yocheved Lifshitz, who were both kidnapped on October 7 from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Yocheved has since been released, but Oded is still held hostage and slated for release in the first phase of the deal that began being implemented on Sunday.