United States and Israel will limit the negotiations to a few days. Then Hamas will be dismantled, militarily or politically. Hamas was forced to accept the Trump plan. We are about to achieve a great result. I hope to be able to announce the release of all our hostages, in one fell swoop ». In the aftermath of Hamas’ “open” response to Donald Trump’s plan, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu speaks to the nation with a video message recorded in Hebrew and widespread at media and TV. To explain the acceleration of the last hours to the Israelis and confirm its red lines on the eve of the new talks in Egypt.
“In order to return the remaining 48 hostages, a few weeks ago I ordered the IDF to enter the most important stronghold of Hamas, Gaza City. At the same time, I coordinated with President Trump and his team a diplomatic move that overturned the situation in an instant: instead of Israel isolated, Hamas is isolated, “he assured. Shortly before, Foreign Minister Gideon Sàar had also claimed that the American peace scheme “was not imposed on Israel, but is largely an Israeli initiative”.
Netanyahu has therefore insisted that “the IDF will remain in the territories that controls in the Gaza strip”, contrary to the retreat in three phases foreseen by the plan and between the crucial points of clash with Hamas. The premier then told the Israelis to “hope to be able to announce the return of the kidnapped for the Sukkot holiday” which this year falls between 6 and 12 October, and which coincides with the second anniversary of the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023.
To press for a rapid agreement on the basis of the American plan, it is precisely the families of the hostages that also this Saturday called the entire Israeli population to a great demonstration of solidarity. In 120 thousand they replied, going down the streets of Tel Aviv in these “decisive days”. «This is the moment in which everything Israel has to join and ask loudly: do everything possible to bring our brothers and sisters back home and put an end to the war. We will not stop until the last hostage returns, “said the family for the family. On the frenetic night between Friday and Saturday, despite Shabbat, the Prime Minister had talks with the Ministers Israel Katz and Ron Dermer and convened the two representatives of the ultra -decay of the Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir government for Saturday evening.
Ben Gvir, before meeting the premier, threatened to leave the government if Hamas “will continue to exist” after the release of the hostages. While the head of the opposition Yair Lapid warned that it will not allow the two messianic ministers to boycott the plan. Israel is currently focusing on the first phase of the cessation that concerns the liberation of all the hostages. The intention, the commentators say, is to conduct a very short and targeted negotiation on the details of the hostage liberation mechanism, and the names of the Palestinian prisoners who will be released. The evaluation is that, if the agreement fails, Israel can continue to fight with the approval of the USA.
Dr. Nasser Laham, considered very close to Abu Mazen, said that Trump’s plan is not for the end of the war, but “to change the Middle East. The next phase will not only be the emergence of new political figures, but what will really distinguish it will be the new political programs. The old programs have worn out, and the electorate feels tired, “he said, anticipating the intentions of the president of the ANP to change course compared to the past.