The reports over the past few days about the chance for a deal to free the hostages have been a source of optimism for much of the Israeli public. The reports say that in the first stage of the deal, women, the elderly and the sick will be released from captivity. A small number of living hostages will remain with Hamas as a guarantee that the full agreement will be implemented. In exchange, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, institute a cease-fire and stage a partial withdrawal from the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors.
Many of the hostage families are justifiably worried about a partial deal and want all the hostages freed. "The whole story about a phased deal is due to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's refusal to end the war," said Yehuda Cohen, the father of Nimrod, who is not on the leaked list of hostages to be freed.
Indeed, there is a great deal of concern that the hostages who are not included in the prospective deal and whose return depends on Israel's willingness to stop the war and withdraw from Gaza will remain captive. If so, their future survival is in doubt.
The complete cynicism with which the Israeli government relates to the hostages, in particular the role domestic political interests play in its considerations, has infected the debate over a hostage deal. But we should not oppose a partial deal in the name of a complete one. It is well known that the prime minister wants to continue the war for reasons unconnected with the security situation but rather linked to his personal political interests. Under the circumstances, opposition to a partial deal is tantamount to a death sentence for the hostages who would be freed under the deal in question. Therefore, it is imperative to support any deal that the government is willing to make to save those who can be saved.
However, we must intensify the call to end the war and bring home all the hostages. The two goals are inseparable, but each is important in its own right. What should be obvious is the utmost importance of bringing home all the hostages and preventing dozens of them from remaining missing. This could open a deep wound in the Israeli psyche that will never heal.
After 15 months, during which Israel not only killed the entire Hamas leadership but also flattened whole areas of the Gaza Strip and caused unprecedented killing of women, children and the elderly, and total destruction that generations of Palestinians will have difficulty overcoming – ending the war is a goal in itself.
Therefore, Israel must bring home all the hostages in exchange for withdrawing its forces from Gaza, abandoning the delusions of renewed settlement there, transferring control of it to the Palestinian Authority and an international Arab force, and allowing the reconstruction of the enclave. Only then will we be able to turn to soul-searching, important reforms and an attempt at resuming the routine of a normal life.
The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.