On Monday, the Israeli military saw the deadliest single incident for its forces since the war with Hamas began in October. More than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in that same period. The Israeli military is now focusing on Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis, which has caused widespread death and destruction while displacing millions of Palestinians. But it’s unclear whether the move will bring Israel closer to its goal of defeating Hamas or freeing the roughly 130 hostages still being held captive by the militant group.
According to The Associated Press, a two-month ceasefire was proposed that would free hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians detained in Israel. Under the proposal, top Hamas leaders would be allowed to leave Gaza and relocate to other countries.
Is there enough pressure to cut a deal? In an interview with NJ Spotlight News, Michael Boyle, associate professor of political science at Rutgers University, said, “Increasingly families in Israel are saying it’s time to prioritize the return of the hostages over what Netanyahu is promising — which is victory over Hamas.”
Boyle noted, “Hamas is asking essentially for a complete end of the war and withdrawal of the IDF forces from Gaza for those same hostages.”
