With Netanyahu seeking to extend Phase I of the ceasefire while avoiding any commitment to end the war, the release of all remaining hostages and a lasting ceasefire look likely to be delayed – a devastating blow to Israeli families with loved ones still in captivity and Palestinians who, at best, have just begun picking up the pieces of their lives.
On March 4, J Street was joined by renowned Israeli journalist and military analyst Amos Harel and J Street Policy Fellow Yael Patir to understand the state of the ceasefire agreement and what it will take to get it back on track.
“Netanyahu has been leaking for more than two weeks[…] that the army is preparing for a huge, massive plan of attack against Hamas and that this time everything will be different because the Americans are supporting us,” Amos Harel told us. “My personal view is that this could become horrific. That we would lose our hostages.”
“74% of the [Israeli] public is supporting the release of all hostages and moving to Phase II in comparison to 67% in January, which is quite a significant raise,” Yael Patir shared, citing recent INSS polling. “I think I can say quite confidently that the majority of the public chooses the hostages over the continuation of the war.”
Watch the full briefing below: