A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas aims to end the war that has been raging for over a year. But in Israel, not all are happy. A small group of hostage families in the West Bank don’t want a partial release of the captives. Named Tikva Forum, the fringe group insists that the best strategy to bring back the hostage is strong military action against Hamas.
The Tikva Forum – which often shares views similar to the Israeli far-right – differs from the Hostage Families Forum, which represents the majority of hostage families and has been calling for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
Read: Hostage Exchange And More: What To Know About 3-Phase Gaza Deal
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire was confirmed last night, raising hopes among Israelis that captives being held by the Palestinian Hamas group would finally return home after a long stay in the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire will begin on Sunday.
However, Tikva Forum’s co-founder Tzvika Mor told CNN that the deal is “very dangerous” for most of the hostages, including his son Eitan who is being held in Gaza. Stating that he believes even his son would want him to ensure the country is safe, he said that Eitan would have been a soldier fighting for Israel if he was not in captivity.
Israel believes at least 98 hostages are still in Gaza, but dozens of them are likely dead.
The latest ceasefire deal will pan out in three stages – the first including a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, and a release of some hostages by Hamas – most likely women, children, and elderly.
Read: Gaza Ceasefire: What We Know So Far
In the second stage, they want to permanently end the war, release the remaining hostages, and ensure a complete withdrawal. The third stage aims to rebuild Gaza and bring back the remains of hostages killed in captivity.
Boaz Miran, another member of Tikva Forum, opposes the release of hostages in different stages. Demanding the release of all hostages at one go, he said a partial release of captives means others staying back in Gaza would get neglected.
Miran, whose brother Omri is held captive by Hamas, also believes that the release of Palestinian prisoners would be catastrophic for Israel. He also cited the example of Yahya Sinawar, a Palestinian operative who was released in 2011 in a prisoner exchange and went on to plan the October 7 attack in Israel.