Netanyahu nixed Halevi's all-out proposal for captive deal last year
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Former IOF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has reportedly proposed a comprehensive Gaza captives deal before the Rafah offensive last year, but Netanyahu reportedly rejected it as "defeat".
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Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi attends a wreath-laying ceremony in al-Quds, occupied Palestine, May 6, 2024 (AP)
Former IOF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi had attempted to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a deal that would have resulted in the release of all the captives ahead of the Rafah offensive last year, but the premier firmly rejected that proposal, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
According to unnamed sources who spoke to the outlet, in the months preceding the IOF operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Halevi had pushed for a ceasefire deal that would have seen all the captives released in a single phase. The military's formulated plan had posited that the release of all captives held in Gaza would allegedly facilitate the IOF's effort to defeat Hamas.
The report stated that when Halevi raised the proposal at a meeting of the high-level security cabinet, Netanyahu quickly rejected it as "defeat", noting that the premier's refusal was so firm that the plan was never even suggested to the team negotiating a captive-exchange deal, with his government instead pushing for a phased agreement.
Read more: Designated Shin Bet head censured Halevi for prioritizing captives
The Prime Minister's Office, according to Kan, did not provide a response to a request for comment on the report.
This adds to Netanyahu's track record of derailing the negotiations with Hamas and his continuous obstruction of a ceasefire in Gaza, exemplified best by his resumption of the war on Gaza on March 18.
On August 26, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that Hamas accepted terms identical to those accepted by "Israel" previously; however, Tel Aviv refused to issue a formal response, noting that the ball was in "Israel's" court and its stance reflected an unwillingness to reach a ceasefire agreement.
On August 18, Hamas confirmed its agreement to the truce plan brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
"Israel" has neither formally accepted nor rejected the proposal nor presented an alternative, prompting Qatar to urge the international community to pressure Tel Aviv into taking a clear position.
On September 2, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari announced that mediators had not yet received a formal response from Israel concerning the most recent Gaza ceasefire proposal, warning that "Israel’s" plans to occupy Gaza endanger all parties, including captives, and render "peace efforts" unviable.
