Only a deal could retrieve rest of captives, Israeli, US officials say
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The New York Times cites American and Israeli officials as saying that operations such as the Nuseirat operation will remain an "exception".
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Israeli settlers protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and call for the release of captives held in the Gaza Strip, in Tel Aviv, on Saturday, June 8, 2024. (AP)
Despite the celebrations in "Israel" following the retrieval of four Israeli captives from Gaza on Saturday, Israeli and American officials highlight that the operation's complexity and accompanying violence underscored the immense challenges of locating and retrieving captives, The New York Times reported Monday.
The newspaper pointed out that the operation carried out by the Israeli occupation forces resulted in the killing of one Israeli officer and many civilian casualties. Additionally, Hamas announced that three captives were killed by Israeli airstrikes.
American and Israeli officials consider that such operations will remain an "exception", indicating that the majority of the remaining captives can be retrieved only through diplomatic means.
NYT cited Avi Kalo, a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli reserves, as saying that the retrieval of four captives "is ultimately a tactical achievement that does not change the strategic aspect."
Kalo, a former leader of an Israeli military intelligence department focused on captives and missing persons, reminded that Hamas still holds captive dozens of Israelis "the vast majority of whom, if not all, will not be released in operations, but can be rescued only as part of a cease-fire deal."
US President Joe Biden last week presented what he called an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the war, release Israeli captives, and lead to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without Hamas in power.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stressed that the war would continue until Israel's "goals are achieved," including the destruction of Hamas.
While US officials insist that it is Hamas impeding reaching an agreement, the head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, affirmed that the movement and the Resistance factions are dealing seriously and positively with any agreement that is based on a comprehensive ceasefire, complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, and prisoner exchange.
Israeli security-military consensus that only a deal would retrieve captives
Despite the Israeli army's retrieval of four captives who were held by the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, there is a consensus within the Israeli security and military establishment that the way to retrieve the remaining captives is through a deal, Israeli media reported on Monday.
Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, rushed to indicate that "only through great and continuous military pressure will we be able to return" the rest of the captives.
Harel doubted whether Ben-Gvir, the Israeli minister who oversees the operations of the Yamam Unit, which took part in the Nuseirat operation, has even participated in the decision-making process and the preparations for the operation.
The Israeli analyst mentioned that the officials who led the Nuseirat operation "think entirely differently from him," adding that some of them made it clear that it is impossible to recover all the remaining captives in a similar manner.
He suggested that it appears a large number of the remaining captives are being held in tunnels and underground hideouts, adding that "it can be assumed that Hamas will learn lessons from the operation" and tighten security around the captives.
Harel confirmed that the Israeli army shares the position of other security officials that "Israel" should pursue a deal to free all the captives, even if it comes "at a high price" and even if Hamas can portray the agreement as an achievement for it.
This echoes the remarks of Yisrael Ziv, the former head of the Israeli occupation army's Operations Division, who stated that a "comprehensive deal" is needed to bring back the remaining captives and end the war.
