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Two final rounds of hostage release remain until the end of Phase I of the current cease-fire and hostage deal release, but Hamas still holds 73 hostages, including 36 who have been declared dead. And it is not at all clear whether Phase I will be fully implemented, and it is certainly not known whether Phase II will be implemented at all. After the ultimatum that U.S. President Donald Trump issued to Hamas, to release "all the hostages", the terrorist organization released only three - Sasha Troufanov , Sagui Dekel-Chen and Iair Horn - and Israel did not object.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday night that he will convene the political-security cabinet "as soon as possible, to decide on Israel's next steps." At least according to the heads of the defense establishment, these next steps should be the implementation of Phase I of the deal. Defense Minister Israel Katz also supports this position, under which the path should be continued and as many hostages as possible should be taken out of Gaza alive. At the same time, senior defense officials said that, in the event of Hamas violating the agreement, the fighting would be different and much more intense.
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Demonstrations in Tel Aviv call for the release of all the hostages
(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)
Discussions are now focused on attempting to return the six hostages identified as alive in Phase I in the coming week, and perhaps even expanding that phase with hostages who are expected to return in Phase II- by providing additional humanitarian aid during Ramadan.
A senior government official said, "The goal right now is to fight for the return of the six hostages alive in one go instead of two, with the expectation that Hamas will blow up the agreement toward the end. We are already on chicken legs. The goal is to return six hostages alive and also several bodies before the first phase is even over."
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Sasha Troufanov is reunited with his family
(Video: IDF Spokesperson, Omer Meron / GPO)
If, despite the Israeli will, there is no change in the next stages - then this coming Saturday three living hostages will be released. The following Saturday, in the last week of Phase I, nine additional hostages will be released - one living hostage and eight more who have died, as well as Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, who have been held in Gaza for more than a decade.
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The list of 14 hostages included in Phase I and who have not yet been released includes - in addition to Mengistu and A-Sayed - four more hostages who are defined as sick and wounded: Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham and Omer Shem Tov. Also included are Shiri Bibas and her children Ariel and Kfir, whom the IDF emphasizes that there is grave concern for their fate; Shlomo Mansour, who the IDF announced last week was murdered on October 7; Itzik Elgert, whose brother Danny said that there is great fear for his life; and also Ohad Yahalomi, Oded Lifshiz and Tsahi Idan.
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Freed hostage Iair Horn sees his father for the first time
(Video: Oz Shechter / GPO)
The hostages who were released in recent weeks have returend with signs of life from many hostages who are still in captivity - and who are not included in the list in the first phase of releases. The list of hostages who are defined as alive and are to be released in Phase II includes Eitan Horn - the brother of Iair who was released Saturday; Matan Zanguaker; Ziv and Gali Berman, Ariel and David Cunio, Elkana Buhbot, Bar Kuperstein, Segev Kalfon, Eitan Mor, Alon Ohel, Yosef Haim Ohana, Avinatan Or, Maxim Harkin, Rom Braslavski, Eviatar David, Guy Gilboa Dalal, Idan Alexander, Matan Angrest, Nimrod Cohen, Tamir Nimrodi and Omri Miran.
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Foreign Minister Gideon Saar greets US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Ben Gurion Airport
( צילום: רונן חורש, לע"מ)
In an attempt to appease U.S. President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said in an official statement - his only since the release of the hostages - that he "greatly appreciates President Trump's leadership and the ongoing coordination with the United States. The combination of the reinforcement of IDF forces around the Gaza Strip and President Trump's firm stance led to the release of three of our hostages today - despite earlier Hamas' refusal to release them. The prime minister also appreciates the president's full support for Israel's decisions regarding the Gaza Strip going forward."
Netanyahu held a security consultation Saturday night, as the deadline set by Trump for Hamas expired. On Sunday, after the cabinet meeting, another security discussion is expected, this time about Ramadan, which will begin in about two weeks. On Sunday afternoon, the prime minister will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who landed in Israel Saturday night for his first visit since taking office.