Israel has had several deals presented to them to save Israeli hostages, and they have refused them. Russia has tried in the Security Council within the first week of the Israeli siege creating a resolution for an exchange of the Palestinian prisoners that Israel is currently holding and the hostages that Hamas has taken, but they refused this deal. The only Israeli hostages of Hamas that have been released were the efforts of US and Qatar.
There is a deal that is being delayed that would release 50 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for a five day ceasefire. The real question is- why the delay?
If this war was truly over the Israeli hostages, why is Israel bombing Gaza to oblivion? If one were to think through the logical steps of this, Israel is creating an environment that is unsustainable for those hostages. If Palestinians do not have food, water, medicine, or fuel, that means these hostages will lack in all of those regards.
Wouldn’t and shouldn’t the first priority of Israel be for the safe homecoming of all Israeli’s taken hostage? Wouldn’t and shouldn’t Israel do everything in their power to ensure the safety of those hostages through their own actions?
On the contrary, Israel has done everything in their power to destroy all life in Gaza including their own citizens. If they meant to bring them home, they would have done so now and the siege would have ceased. There have been multiple discussions and outreach from Hamas with possible deals, but Israel has refused them to the dismay of the Israeli families who are bereft over the conditions that their family members are facing in Gaza at the hands of their own government.
Now the truth has come out that Israel has killed Israeli concertgoers on October 7th. The burned and charred bodies in cars are Palestinian fighters and not festival attendees. It has been proven that Israel shot at and killed a number of these concertgoers during the Hamas invasion of Israel and then blamed Hamas for those deaths. Israel also claimed that the burned and charred bodies were those of the festival attendees and a claim that Biden still utilizes as justification for aggression against Gaza. These deaths have been at the hands of Israel. Israel used the deaths of the festival attendees as part of their justification for war on Gaza, but they were lies used to manipulate perception and to justify Israel’s horrific atrocities that followed. The fact that Israel could kill their own people, lie to the world, and blame Hamas, means that they do not care for their own people but for war and will destroy their own people to justify war.
Israel does not want to bring the hostages home. Israel is creating conditions unsustainable for any life and that includes their own citizens that have been taken. Israel is responsible for those conditions. Israel is starving Palestinians, but also these hostages. Israel is bombing any location that they claim as a Hamas command center, but that would be where Israeli hostages would be held, which would kill the Israeli hostages. In all of these actions, they are not from a country that is seeking peace, but a country bent on war and death. They want the justification to continue the genocide and they want to completely level Gaza to the ground. If there are no hostages to bring home, Israel can then destroy Gaza.
Yet, this was all done at the hands of Israel. The bombs that destroy Gaza and kill innocent Palestinians are also killing the innocent Israeli hostages. The starvation that Palestinians are facing is also what Israeli hostages are facing. The lack of medicine and medical care that ensures the suffering of Palestinians, also ensures the suffering of Israeli hostages. They chose the conditions and their choice was to end all life in Gaza including the lives of Israeli’s.
If Hamas gave all the hostages to Israel right now, the siege still would not end because Israel does not want it to end. This is why the hostage deal has been delayed. This is why Israel has refused previous hostage deals. Both Israel and the US have firmly stated that the war on Gaza will not end until Hamas is destroyed, which is an impossible goal to hunt out terrorists among civilians. Israel and the US understand this impossibility, which is why they are then classifying innocent Palestinians as Hamas terrorists.
Israel has had the offer of several exchanges and declined them. There is a deal on the table, but Israel is delaying the hostage deal. Their actions speak very clearly- Israel wants to commit genocide on the remaining Palestinians and to expel those who are able to flee Gaza and the West Bank.
You cannot say you want peace and then destroy and kill. You cannot want to bring hostages back safely if your country is the one imposing the death and destruction on a nation. Israel’s actions define them. Israel’s decimating everything in their unyielding vengeance with the intent to wipe out Gaza and all Palestinians who inhabit Gaza. Unfortunately the Israeli hostages might all be lost in the war, but this is a loss that Israel is counting on to continue their plan for genocide and destruction of Gaza.
Israel does not want their hostages. Israel wants war. Israel wants genocide.
FIGHT FOR A FREE PALESTINE.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. May this whole world be free.
Protest. BE UNGOVERNABLE. Volunteer. Boycott. Organize. Vote 3rd party. Contact elected officials. Share the stories from Palestine. Share the news from Palestine. Share the history of Palestine. Please extend the same energy to other places that face genocide and war crimes including- the Congo, Sudan, West Papua, Armenia, and the Uyghurs.