Israel committed to securing hostage deal as approved by War Cabinet: Benny Gantz

JERUSALEM

Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz said Saturday that the government is committed to continuing its support for the broad outlines of the hostage swap deal as formulated by the negotiating team and unanimously approved by the War Cabinet, said media reports.

He said it is “part of the wider effort to achieve all of the war’s objectives,” the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

Gantz said the War Cabinet “must be convened as soon as possible together with the negotiating team to formulate the next steps.”

“The United States has proven over time consistently, exactly like it has since the war’s beginning under the leadership of President Biden, its commitment to Israel’s security and the efforts to return the hostages. We are deeply grateful to the president and all our American friends for their support,” said Gantz.

US President Joe Biden said Friday that Israel presented the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, with a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in the besieged Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave.

Biden appealed to Hamas to accept the deal and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resist pressure from members of his governing coalition opposed to the plan.

Netanyahu's office reiterated his intention on Friday to continue Tel Aviv’s offensive in Gaza until all of Tel Aviv's war goals are achieved.

Hamas said it would "respond positively to any proposal that includes a permanent cease-fire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction efforts, the return of the displaced, and the completion of a comprehensive hostage exchange deal."

Since Oct. 7, Israel has pounded Gaza in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its onslaught nearly eight months ago. Most of those killed have been women and children, with over 82,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid Israel's crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala