Netanyahu must take one-time release of all hostages – opposition heads – Israel News

Israeli opposition leaders vowed on Saturday evening to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu political and public backing for a move to return all the remaining Gaza hostages in one release.

“Bringing the hostages home” is the most urgent task, said Opposition head Yair Lapid, National Unity leader Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, and Democrats (Labor) Leader Yair Golan. 

“We call to shorten the wait for their return and to seek a one-time release and vow to allow political and public backing for this move,” they added. 

A one-time hostage release

The opposition heads’ statement comes following Hamas’s claims that it had offered Israel and mediators a one-time release of all hostages set to be freed in the ceasefire deal’s second phase.

Hamas Spokesman Hazem Qassem claimed that this could be made possible should Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Otzma Yehudit resigned from the government in mid-January after the government approved the ceasefire deal, and party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir has continued to speak out against a hostage release deal for complete withdrawal.

“The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal,” Ben-Gvir said in a televised statement in early January.

He also said the deal would “erase the achievements of the war” by releasing hundreds of Palestinian terrorists and withdrawing from strategic areas in Gaza, leaving Hamas undefeated.