A tense Israeli cabinet meeting Sunday night ended with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refusing to advance a proposed hostage-ceasefire deal, despite strong pressure from senior ministers and the IDF chief of staff.
The six-hour security cabinet session in Tel Aviv centered on the army’s planned takeover of Gaza City. But IDF Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir insisted the government consider Hamas’s August proposal: release of 10 hostages and 18 bodies in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a 60-day ceasefire. Negotiations would then continue for the release of the remaining captives.
Zamir argued the deal was achievable and that Israel could resume operations afterward if needed. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel also backed the plan, citing international pressure and growing recognition of a Palestinian state abroad.
Netanyahu, however, rejected the idea, declaring: “A partial deal is not relevant.” According to leaks, he told ministers that U.S. President Donald Trump personally urged him not to accept any phased arrangement and instead “fight with full force.”
Far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich pressed for a vote to officially reject the proposal, but Netanyahu refused, saying it was “not on the table.”
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned Netanyahu afterward, accusing him of “sacrificing hostages and soldiers for political survival” when a concrete deal was within reach.
