WhatsappPrime Minister Netanyahu stood along side his Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on the beach in Gaza in the heart of the Neitzarim Corridor and proposed a new hostage release plan.
Netanyahu offered Gazans $5 million for each hostage freed and safe passage out of Gaza in an attempt to get those holding hostages to turn against Hamas. In what is now a 7km wide buffer zone between north and south Gaza, the Netizarim corridor has become a symbol of victory against Hamas and the inevitable liberation of Gaza from jihadist forces bent on the destruction of the Jewish people. Israel has insisted in staying in the enclave in any agreement.
The Prime Minister toured the area with his Defense Minister and met with soldiers and their commanders as well as being updated on site.
Netanyahu said that IDF troops in the enclave had “achieved excellent results toward our important goal — that Hamas will not rule in Gaza. We are destroying its military capabilities in a very impressive manner, and we are moving on to its ruling capabilities… Hamas will not be in Gaza.”
In addition, he said, Israel is also doing everything it can “to locate our hostages, and return them. We are not letting up. We will continue to do so until we get them all — both the living and the dead.” Addressing “those who are holding our hostages,” Netanyahu said, “Whoever dares to harm our hostages — he is a marked man. We will pursue you and we will get you.”
With victory in Gaza looking more and more certain, it remains to be seen whether Netanyahu’s plan to get the rest of the hostages will bear fruit. Whether or not Netanyahu’s latest offer works relies on the assumption that without Sinwar in charge, Gazans and their Hamas governors are no longer as unified as they once were and are prone to taking money and ensuring self preservation instead of ending up six feet under the ground. Then again, the assumption is connected to the misnomer that jihadists are influenced by the same factors westerners are. Unfortunately one of the truth’s that have come from October 7th is that whole societies exist in the world whose decision are based on an entirely different set of principles – most are incompatible with Western culture.
