Israel believes half of hostages alive, considering siege on north Gaza

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told lawmakers that only half of the remaining 97 hostages abducted on October 7 are alive. His statements would indicate that around 50 hostages could be dead. The IDF has only confirmed the deaths of 33 of those still in Gaza.

Netanyahu made the comments to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, during a session where he said he was considering a plan to lay siege to northern Gaza.

The plan, which is not backed by the United States, is being promoted by former national security adviser and ex-IDF operations chief retired Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland who told the committee it would “change the reality” on the ground in Gaza.

“We have to tell the residents of north Gaza that they have one week to evacuate the territory, which then becomes a military zone, [a zone] in which every figure is a target and, most importantly, no supplies enter this territory.”

Eiland argued that a siege is not only an effective military tactic but is also compliant with international law. “What matters to [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar is land and dignity, and with this manoeuvre, you take away both land and dignity,” he said.

Israel still has its sights on Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attack, who has been hiding in Gaza’s tunnels for almost a year. For nearly 11 months, Sinwar maintained communication with his operatives outside the tunnels and, indirectly, with countries mediating a hostage deal with Israel, usually through intermediaries. Recently, however, communication between Sinwar and the outside world has been cut off. This has further complicated the already difficult negotiations due to significant gaps between the parties' positions.

Israel's security establishment is investigating whether Sinwar was injured in one of the heavy airstrikes on Gaza's tunnel systems, or if he has deliberately severed contact to reduce his chances of being targeted.

Sinwar is not the only barrier to a deal. A report on Israeli television this week exposed never-before-seen documents and previously unheard conversations which highlight Netanyahu's relentless attempts to "Torpedo the Deal," as the segment is titled.

The report by Channel 12 News' Yaron Avraham demonstrates that since the hostage release-ceasefire deal in November, Israel's negotiation team has been a futile mission to secure another deal to bring home more hostages, while Netanyahu “did everything in his power to make sure they are not successful”.

The demonstrates that Netanyahu walked back several promises he made, including an agreement to end the war, and invented new "non-starters" that were previously never mentioned that blocked a deal. He also repeatedly prevented negotiators from travelling to ceasefire talks, or greatly limited their negotiation powers when they are allowed to go.

Netanyahu is scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly on Friday. He has delayed his arrival in the US by at least a day as tensions rise with Lebanon, after an elaborate operation to detonate thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah that may signal the beginning of a broader war in the region.

READ MORE

PM says weighing plan for siege on Hamas in north Gaza; believes half of hostages alive (Times of Israel)

Israel investigating whether Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar wounded, killed or deliberately severed contact with outside world (Haaretz)  

New evidence reveals Netanyahu’s relentless efforts to block hostage deal, report shows (Haaretz)  

Could this be the week Netanyahu goes from pariah to international fugitive? (Guardian)

RELATED STORIES

UN seeks immunity for UNRWA employees complicit in Oct. 7 massacre - Channel 12 report (Jerusalem Post)
Channel 12 noted that this decision creates a significant legal hurdle for the victims and their families, who must demonstrate that the immunity protecting UNRWA employees should be revoked.

Australia pushes for aid worker protections at UN (ABC)
Australia is leading a push at the United Nations for strengthened protections and new safeguards for aid workers in conflict zones. The push comes months after the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza, killed in an Israeli air strike.