Former Israeli Minister of Security Yoav Gallant, in his first public appearance in the United States, warned that "Israel" would make a mistake by resuming the fight to "eliminate" Hamas before securing the return of the captured soldiers. 

In his statements on Tuesday, Gallant emphasized that there is a clear priority in bringing the captured soldiers to fulfill the objectives of the war. He affirmed that while "Israel" aims to return the soldiers and eliminate Hamas, he is not opposed to the "elimination" of Hamas.

He continued, "But if we eliminate Hamas before we return the kidnapped soldiers, we will have no kidnapped soldiers to return, and this is the goal of the war, in addition to the moral value."

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In its editorial on Monday, Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote that the negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza were scheduled to begin on the sixteenth day. However, the first phase ended without any such talks, leaving 59 captives still in the Strip.

The newspaper highlighted that the way to secure the return of the prisoners is not by extending the first phase or starving the population of Gaza, including the captives. Instead, it called for the beginning second phase, which involves halting the war and withdrawing from Gaza, as outlined in the agreement.

Ceasefire talks fail to advance to second phase

On Saturday, a senior Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen that negotiations in Cairo have failed to pave the way for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, blaming the Israeli regime for obstructing progress.

According to the official, the Israeli occupation is deliberately stalling to prolong the first phase of the agreement while gradually securing the release of its captives.

He accused the Israeli regime of violating the deal by delaying entry into second-phase negotiations and reaffirmed that the resistance would not release any captives without a comprehensive agreement.

"The Israeli side is attempting to use blackmail tactics, but we reject any deal that is not part of a full-package agreement," the official stated.

The official also noted that mediators have been unsuccessful in persuading the Israeli regime to engage in the next phase of talks. He added that Israeli political leaders are pressuring negotiators to extend the first phase on the condition that Hamas releases additional captives.