Amid the stalemate in the negotiations for a deal, Defense Minister Israel Katz held a security assessment meeting on the issue of captives and missing persons with the Chief of Staff, the head of the Mossad, the head of the Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir, the officer in charge of the missing and captives in the IDF, Major General (Res.) Nitzan Alon, the coordinator of captives and missing persons, Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch, and other senior officials in the security establishment.
Moriah Asraf reported on News 13 that the heads of the security establishment believe that Israel needs to be flexible in its positions – and if that happens, a deal can be reached. It was also reported that senior officials in the security establishment say that the decision ultimately lies solely with the political echelon, and it is up to them whether to allow flexibility in Israel's position.
Earlier, the newly appointed Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, visited the IDF Hostage Command this morning, together with the Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir. The minister emphasized the supreme ethical importance of freeing all the hostages, which is one of the war's objectives, and thanked everyone involved in the mission who work day and night to bring all the hostages back home, both the living and those who are no longer alive.
During the visit, Katz said: "As I defined from my first day in office, bringing the captives home is our most important ethical goal." There have never been and will never be political considerations on this matter. "Every meeting with the families of the captives and those engaged in the mission to bring them back fills me with even more motivation – and I commit to working together with the security establishment in every possible way to bring them home."
We remind you that last Friday it was reported that senior Hamas official Bassam Naim told the AFP news agency that the terrorist organization "is ready for a ceasefire if it is presented, provided that Israel respects it." Additionally, Hamas conveyed a message to the elected president Donald Trump, stating that pressure should be applied on Israel to cease hostilities.
