Amid the joyous scenes throughout Israel on Saturday at the news of the daring rescue of hostages Noa Argamani, Andrey Kozlov, Shlomi Ziv, and Almog Meir Jan, there remains at the back of the mind the thought of the other hostages still in Hamas captivity and concluding a deal that will bring them home to their families.
Given Israel’s recent experience of trying to reach a deal with the terror group, it seems reasonable to presume that, despite the good feeling and joy that has accompanied Saturday’s events, it will only serve to harden the hearts of the Hamas leadership when it comes to the diplomatic concessions needed for peace.
Almost immediately after news of the rescue was announced, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stated to the world, “Our people will not surrender, and the resistance will continue to defend our rights in the face of this criminal enemy.”
“If the occupation believes that it can impose its choices on us by force, it is delusional, and the movement will not agree to any agreement that does not achieve security for our people first and foremost. [Israel] continues the massacres against our people, children, and women, the chapters of which are now taking place in Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah.”
The challenges of returning to the negotiating table
If a hostage deal had been a long-running issue before, it seems it would have been even more challenging to get Hamas to return to the negotiating table and accept offers despite the US, Qatar, and Egypt being involved in mediating the talks.
The military operation was the third known hostage rescue carried out by the IDF since the start of the war. IDF soldier Ori Megidish was rescued in October 2023 from the northern Gaza Strip, and Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Luis Herr (70) were rescued in February 2024 from southern Rafah.
The IDF has been encased in Gaza for months but has “only” three successful hostage rescues (along with November’s prisoner-hostage swap) to show for its efforts in terms of returning the hostages home. Whether or not that can be considered a success, given the labyrinth of tunnels and high-storied buildings in Gaza, along with the multitude of terror groups probably holding onto hostages, is in the eye of the beholder.
The level of intelligence that the IDF collected, along with that provided by the Americans, shows how intricate the details must be in the planning of such operations, and our military should be commended for its incredible work, executed under intense conditions in Nuseirat, simultaneously rescuing hostages from two different locations.
However, things are never as smooth as they seem. News broke on Sunday evening of Hamas claiming that three hostages, including a US citizen, did indeed lose their lives in the rescue operation, showing the fine line between life and death that exists every moment for those stuck in Gaza.
All of this means that Israel must continue to plug away at the negotiating table and use international pressure on Hamas to secure a ceasefire and the release of the remaining hostages. We cannot JUST rely on the military to rescue the hostages over the coming years. Time is becoming of the essence.
Saturday’s news was accompanied by the tragic announcement that the father of Almog Meir Jan, one of the four hostages rescued from Hamas captivity, was found dead in his home on Saturday, the same day as his son’s rescue.
We should exalt in the joy of the four hostages’ return and the brave and daring raid that brought them home. But a father’s passing merely hours before his son is saved from captivity is a tragedy that affects the entire nation.
Every success on the battlefield should be celebrated, especially when it leads to hostages coming home after eight months of torturous captivity. But we must also remind ourselves that every little Israeli victory hardens the hearts of Hamas adherents who sit across the table from us when we demand they let our sons and daughters go.
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