Against the backdrop of the developing hostage deal and reports of serious progress in the negotiations, the families of hostages from the Hope Forum are warning about the emerging deal.
And thus they stated: "What is not being told to the public - a partial deal is a full 'standing order.' Any partial deal signed with Hamas is not just another deal - it marks a deep strategic change."
From now on, Hamas will be considered the official sovereign in Gaza, as if it is the legitimate representative of all the residents of the Strip – one that can sign hostage deals on behalf of everyone.
The meaning is clear: any additional hostage will depend solely on Hamas – and they, for their part, will take their time. After all, the hostages are their strategic defense. They have no interest in releasing them, but rather in keeping them as a permanent bargaining chip.
They further argued: "More hostage videos – less military pressure. Instead of applying military pressure to secure their release, we see more and more painful videos. The leverage will shift to Hamas, which understands that this is a winning strategy for them."
A partial deal is a dangerous breaking of a barrier. It is a barrier that must not be broken. Such a deal condemns the rest of the hostages to remain there – in Hamas's endless captivity. This is not just another deal. It is a de facto recognition of Hamas as a sovereign. This is not just another deal. It is a surrender to repeated deals that will keep the hostages in their eternal prison.
And finally, they called in the forum to continue with military pressure: "We must not break this barrier. We must apply military pressure – not political pressure. We must bring back the captives – not perpetuate the captivity of future generations."
