Israeli defense chiefs are set to urge the security cabinet on Sunday to accept a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza instead of pursuing a major offensive in Gaza City, Channel 12 reported.
IDF chief Eyal Zamir, Mossad Director David Barnea, and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi back the deal, with the acting Shin Bet chief the only noted exception.
The chiefs will also question why the cabinet has not formally discussed the latest proposal, which closely mirrors one Israel had already approved.
A phased proposal by Arab mediators, approved by Hamas on August 18, calls for the release of 10 hostages and the bodies of 18 slain captives in five batches over a 60-day ceasefire. During this period, both sides would negotiate the release of remaining hostages and a permanent end to the war.
The plan closely mirrors a deal crafted by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had approved last month before Hamas added new demands in late July, causing talks to collapse. Arab mediators later persuaded Hamas to drop those demands, but Israel has since said it is no longer interested in a phased approach.
There is a deal on the table that Israel has fought for. We must seize the chance to bring hostages back alive and use the ceasefire to end the fighting,” a senior security source told the network. “Any other plan, assuming Hamas will surrender if we enter Gaza City, is a reckless gamble with the lives of hostages and soldiers.”
The unnamed official added that multiple living hostages could have returned last week and been home safe by now had Israel accepted the deal as it had in the past.
Since Hamas first rejected the offer in July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has changed his stance, rejecting any phased or partial deal. He insists on negotiating only for the release of all hostages at once and ending the war on Israel’s terms. According to Netanyahu, the conflict must conclude with Hamas’s disarmament, the Strip’s demilitarization, and a new civilian government that is neither Hamas nor the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
On Friday, security forces recovered the body of slain hostage Ilan Weiss during an operation in Gaza. The remains of a second hostage were also retrieved, though their identity has not yet been released as the Abu Kabir National Institute of Forensic Medicine continues the identification process.
