1.
What deal? Why torture the families and public with false hopes? Let's clear the discussion of emotional intensity for a moment and analyze the situation.
Hamas looks at the destroyed Gaza Strip and its lengthening list of dead and understands that the hostages are the only card it has left. This is its life insurance policy and guarantee for its prominence in world news. Keeping the hostages is also the new Nazis' great revenge against us. This is how they will encourage polarization, protests, and terrible accusations within our society, as if someone in Israel isn't interested in freeing the hostages. In Hamas' view, this is what will enable its victory, so why would it release them?
2.
Hamas' first condition – a condition that hasn't changed – for releasing some of the hostages (only some; some will always remain for extra security, claiming they don't know where they are, and to continue torturing Israeli society), is Israel's complete surrender: total withdrawal from the Gaza Strip including the buffer zone ("perimeter"); international guarantees that we won't renew the war, even if we see military buildup or tunnel digging; and of course, complete rehabilitation of the destruction including the many terror nests we bombed, and the return of hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million displaced persons, to northern Gaza. The West in its blindness will volunteer many billions to rebuild the kingdom of evil on our southern border. And all this under the supreme, non-negotiable condition: Hamas' continued rule in Gaza.
Simultaneously, we would release masses of terrorists from prison whose hands are stained with our brothers' and sisters' blood. Many will arrive in Samaria and Judea, and engage in the only thing they know: killing Jews. They will draw inspiration from the October 7 massacre and plan similar events in communities along the seam line in the heart of the country. The released terrorists who will reach Gaza will help in Hamas' military rehabilitation, and failing Egypt will provide fertile ground for smuggling weapons and digging equipment.
3.
The resounding message, which no interpretative acrobatics can cover, will be that no matter how extreme the evil and crime a terror organization employs, as long as it manages to capture Israelis, it is guaranteed victory. In such a case, we can start the countdown to the next massacre.
Meanwhile, in the years while Hamas prepares for invasion, it will embitter the lives of Israeli communities in the south with a steady drip of rockets and mortars. It will educate its children that Jews are Satan's offspring and the descendants of apes and pigs, that it's a commandment to murder, rape, behead them and burn them alive. Those among the Gazans who were children during the "Disengagement" (a whitewashed name for Israel's disconnection then from the idea of uncompromising war on terror) internalized the messages well, and when they grew up, crossed the fence on October 7 and implemented their doctrine.
The bleeding argument in Israeli society will remain between us alone; Hamas is not a party to it. They haven't even provided a list of hostages, living and dead. Why should they? The Jews will continue to fight among themselves and raise the price.
4.
The words here don't express principled opposition to a deal, but rather rely on the long-term lesson of our conflict's history with those who seek our demise, of previous deals, of familiarity with the culture, religion, and diverse discourse, written and spoken, of our enemies.
Therefore, a nation that cherishes life must fight to free its hostages. Diplomatic paths are doomed to failure, just like negotiations with Nazi Germany. Hamas will always keep hostages, and the moment it can, will smuggle them out of the Strip. Soon a new president will enter the White House who can help us stand against international pressure to bring humanitarian aid to our enemies and those holding our hostages. Aid that does enter the Strip will only be distributed by Israel and won't reach Hamas. This way we'll prevent it from controlling the population and recruiting new terrorists in exchange for food for their families.
The IDF needs to surround Gaza with additional divisions and conquer it completely, while scanning the area meter by meter, eliminating the remaining terrorists and finally finding our hostages. Courage for change before catastrophe strikes.
