Israeli War Cabinet Agrees to Resume Negotiations Amid Pressure from Hostages' Families

A report by Amale Chehadeh, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

After hours of discussion, the Israeli war cabinet conceded to the demand of the Hostages' Families Forum to immediately return to negotiations. This decision followed the broadcast of a video showing the capture of Israeli female soldiers from the Nahal Oz military base on October 7th.

Despite a lack of optimism about reaching an agreement, particularly regarding a permanent ceasefire, it was revealed that Israeli officials continue their contacts with their Egyptian counterparts about the deal and the understandings related to the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Route.

In this context, Alon Nitsan, a member of the negotiating team, presented a proposal to the cabinet similar to the one Hamas had agreed to. However, the cabinet added a clause ensuring that the deal includes all female hostages, both soldiers and civilians, as well as the elderly and the sick. At the same time, there were increasing calls to make approving the deal a top national priority.

The pressing developments in the negotiations were met with the insistence of the political and military establishments on considering the intensification of combat as a primary goal, especially in Rafah. 

Despite acknowledging the difficulty and ferocity of the battles there, the army claimed it was achieving successes, particularly in the Philadelphi Route where it had advanced about seven kilometers. The army stated it would need at least a month to complete its mission there, simultaneously fighting in Jabalia in the north and central Gaza.

The army's statements contributed to escalating protests from the families of hostages held by Hamas, who were joined by thousands on Wednesday night, coinciding with the cabinet meeting. Amid the announcement of the deaths of three soldiers and injuries to others, voices opposing the plan to expand and intensify the fighting grew louder, with the slogan "Stop the fighting and deal now" emerging prominently.

The military establishment, supported by the Prime Minister, decided to intensify the fighting in Gaza despite acknowledging its ferocity. This decision was accompanied by ongoing army training and learning from similar experiences faced in the Gaza Strip. Teams of officers and soldiers were sent to France to study the Allied forces' landing on the Normandy beaches and the breach of the Maginot Line during World War II. Similar teams were sent to Vietnam to train in combat resembling the battles between the US army and the Vietnamese resistance.

Meanwhile, hundreds of untrained Jewish youths from around the world arrived in Israel, all in preparation for a potential escalation on both the Gaza Strip and the Lebanon borders.