Partial deal with Hamas off the table ahead of Israeli Cabinet meeting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not put Hamas’s partial hostage-release deal on the agenda when the Security Cabinet convenes on Tuesday, insisting instead on a comprehensive agreement that sees all of the captives released and ends the war on Jerusalem’s terms.

Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza currently hold 50 hostages, of whom 20 are alive according to Israeli estimates. Meanwhile, the military is preparing for a major operation in Gaza City, one of Hamas’s last strongholds in the Strip.

Hebrew news outlet Channel 12 reported on the Cabinet developments, citing senior Israeli officials as saying that Hamas’s acceptance of a partial ceasefire proposal to release half the living hostages, confirmed by the White House on Aug. 19, is a deceptive tactic to retain control in Gaza.

The officials pointed to strict coordination between Israel and the United States on the issue, emphasizing that “there will be no partial deal.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Settlements and National Missions Minister Orit Strook are pushing for a formal Cabinet vote to definitively rule out partial agreements, although it’s unlikely this demand will be accepted, according to Channel 12, as Jerusalem aims to keep all negotiation options open.