Israel’s spy agency is reportedly demanding that Hezbollah and Iran put pressure on Hamas to release Israeli hostages before a ceasefire in Lebanon can be negotiated.
According to Israel’s Walla news agency, citing a senior US official, Israel insists that any ceasefire in Lebanon following the conclusion of its military operation will be conditional on the release of hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza.
The report claims that Mossad chief Dadi Barnea recently communicated this demand to CIA Director William Burns. Barnea reportedly told Burns that Israel and the US should only agree to a truce in Lebanon if Hamas releases the captives.
The Mossad chief allegedly believes that Hezbollah, Iran, and “other elements in the region” can exert pressure on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to meet the terms.
Following Hamas’ incursion into Israel on October 7, 2022, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 250 hostages, Hamas has released 109 captives, mostly during a week-long truce in late November. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) rescued eight hostages, and 37 others have been confirmed dead, including three mistakenly killed by Israeli troops.
Talks concerning a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas have stalled for several months. There have been widespread protests in Israel demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government take more decisive action to secure the release of the hostages.
According to the latest data from Gaza’s health ministry, at least 42,010 people have been killed and 97,720 others wounded in Israeli airstrikes and the ground offensive in the Palestinian enclave over the past year.
Walla reports that Israel and the US agree that a ceasefire in Lebanon is not a priority at this time, and that the operation against Hezbollah should continue.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people, urging them to “free your country from Hezbollah so that this war can end.” He warned that failure to do so could result in Lebanon “falling into the abyss of a long war that will lead to destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza.”
On Wednesday, Netanyahu had his first phone conversation with US President Joe Biden in almost 50 days. The White House readout indicates that the two leaders primarily focused on possible Israeli retaliation for an Iranian missile attack last week, but the Lebanese issue was also discussed. Among other topics, Biden emphasized the need for a “diplomatic arrangement” that would facilitate the return of displaced Israeli and Lebanese citizens to their homes in the border area.