Israeli captives cannot be returned by military force: Officials

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
15 Aug 2024 03:16
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US and Israeli officials have debunked the Israeli objective of returning captives by exerting more military force on Gaza, saying it would not succeed.

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Hamas release an Israeli captive during the temporary ceasefire established in November (al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

Former and current Israeli and American officials said "Israel's" goal to return the captives "cannot be achieved through force [military pressure], The New York Times reported.

According to the NYT, American officials consider the Israeli objective to weaken Hamas has shrunk over the past 10 months of the war, during which the Resistance movement was able to rebuild its military capabilities.

This comes right before the Thursday negotiations set to take place in Doha, Qatar, regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slightly expanded the mandate given to the Israeli negotiation team working on the Gaza hostage deal, two senior Israeli officials familiar with the matter were cited as claiming Wednesday by Israeli journalist Barak Ravid.

The officials described the mandate as "reasonable," justifying the team's upcoming participation in talks in Qatar.

Netanyahu's decision to provide greater flexibility in the Israeli negotiation positions is seen as a potential step forward, he said. However, the officials noted that it remains uncertain whether this alleged flexibility will suffice to reach an agreement.

During a recent meeting, the heads of the Israeli occupation's security and intelligence services warned Netanyahu that the time to reach a deal was running out. They emphasized in both the meeting and a written document that further delays or inflexibility in the negotiations could endanger the lives of the Israeli captives.

A senior Israeli official also revealed that the meeting discussed the potential linkage between a possible attack by Iran and Hezbollah and the ongoing negotiations for a captive deal and a ceasefire in Gaza.