After it approved the deal with Hamas, which is set to exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, the government on Tuesday night issued an official statement which said that "the government of Israel, the IDF and the security forces will continue the war to return all the hostages, to complete the elimination of Hamas and to ensure that the threat to the State of Israel from Gaza will not be renewed."
However, former Mossad chief Efraim Halevi told Ynet: "I think this deal is the first stage, and if this process of the exchange of prisoners is carried forward to the end, it will be much more difficult to renew the military campaign until the collapse of Hamas."
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Halevi, who also chaired the National Security Council, says that "I think there will be very great pressure from the United States to bring about a moderation and even an end to the fighting without Hamas collapsing completely as the prime minister would like. This is not only a deal in the field of exchanging prisoners from both sides, but also as a move that will strengthen the intention to try to bring the war to an end." However, he clarified that he "assumes that this is the best deal that could be achieved at this stage, and that it is the beginning of a process of further deals that will return most if not all of our hostges home."
Halevi says the US pressure will be formidable. "I think Israel cannot withstand American pressure. First of all, because it is the main supporter of Israel today in the world, and President Biden is perhaps Israel's greatest friend in many years and significantly helped Israel in the transfer of weapons during the campaign," he said.
The former Mossad chief claimed that "the interests of the United States, which has done a great deal to strengthen Israel and its ability to fight, must also be taken into account." He added that: "I would very much like to be able to collapse Hamas all over the world, it would be very important if we could do that. But we have partners, and these partners have opinions that cannot be ignored. The U.S did not agree to blindly support whatever Israel wants, and I think that the Americans, even in quite significant talks, made it clear that they have something to say on these issues."
Halevi's words were also echoed by the Head of the Federation of Local Authorities, Haim Bibas, who expressed strong support for the continuation of the fighting after the end of the limited cease-fire. "I think that the whole process of returning the hostages should be thorough. I accept that this difficult decision is the right one as soon as the chief of staff, the Mossad chief, the head of the Shin Bet, the prime minister and the defense minister eventually accept the deal," Bibas said, but emphasized: "If the job is halted, I think this is the biggest failure, so for me, along with the return of the hostages, we need to fight to the end and eliminate the threat - that's the most important thing."
Do you trust this government to continue the war to the end?
"I think there will be no choice, the people are clearly speaking their mind and are basically all mobilizing. In the end, the cities of the south will not be able to live under any missile or mortar bomb threat, only in absolute peace. That is why we stand by this issue so the mission be completed. Our children are on the southern and northern fronts to give our full support to the IDF and the security forces, and also to the government and the war cabinet – to complete the mission to the end."
'Don't have too great expectations - that way the disappointment won't be huge'
According to the agreement approved by the government, Hamas will release 50 children, mothers and elderly women, during a four-day ceasefire. Most of the Israeli children and mothers held in Gaza will be included in this group and, during the truce, Hamas is supposed to try to locate some additional mothers and children that it claims it does not know who is holding them. On the fourth day he will announce if he found them, and if so he can return them to Israel in exchange for another day of respite.
However, not all of the ahostages are included in the aforementioned agreement - including males and soldiers. Yair Moses, whose parents, Gadi, 79 and Margalit ,77, are being held hostage in Gaza along with other relatives - does not know yet what will happen to them. "My father is not included, and it's an unbearable situation, it's elderly people who are having a very, very hard time," Yair told Ynet.
"As for my mother, they said that the older women will only be released if they don't find children. Assuming that everything comes true, then that still doesn't mean she will be there. It's a kind of complete uncertainty about her as well, and it turns my stomach."
"The heart breaks completely, but we must bring back everyone who can be brought back, and not say that we will not bring back the children and the elderly because I was not able to bring them all. We must not stop until everyone returns, but those who can be brought back," he said.
The son of the two elderly hostages said that "as soon as the names come up, of course we will be updated. I believe that even if my mother is not included, we will be updated. I don't know how it will be. We are trying to prepare for it and think about what we are doing. But on the other hand, the expectations are as great as they are, I don't want them to be too big - because then the disappointment will be huge."
It's just not normal that the Red Cross and the UN are not doing enough to reach them and see how they are doing.
He added that "we need to release as many helpless civilians as possible, and the older men are also unfortunately, still helpless. People ages 75-80 are not a danger to anyone, and they need their medicine and medical equipment." According to him, "I understood that part of the deal is the visit of the Red Cross and I really hope it happens, it's something I've been calling for it for weeks. It's just not normal that the Red Cross and the U.N. are not doing enough to reach them and see how they are doing. I really hope it will be like this and we will also know what the condition of the others is, because today we don't know who is alive or dead, who is injured or sick, and what conditions they have – we don't know anything."
There are those who fear that the deal will break up the families themselves, and there will be no support for the rest
"True, but everyone up until now has said that they will continue to fight until everyone returns and we hope that it will continue that way. Those whose relatives return, and I am happy for them, will of course take a few days to be with them. But I hope and believe that they will return to the fight and help us continue to fight to bring everyone back."