Israeli president says humanitarian pause on table in exchange for release of hostages

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said his country is willing to enter into a pause in fighting against Hamas for the delivery of humanitarian aid if Hamas releases hostages, but that the “responsibility lies with the other side.”

Herzog, the head of state, issued the offer during a virtual discussion held by The Atlantic Council on Tuesday. His remarks follow statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel was working to restart negotiations with Hamas.

“There is an effort by brokers. I don’t know much more than that because I’m not involved in the details — Netanyahu met with families of hostages an hour ago and repeated the fact that he sent [David Barnea, head of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad], to Europe twice in order to reignite the process” of hostage negotiations, Herzog said. 

The Israeli president’s remarks followed reporting that Barnea, CIA Director William Burns and Qatari officials met in Warsaw, Poland, to move forward talks with Hamas.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, traveled to Cairo for talks on a possible truce and releasing hostages.

More than 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, which is designated by the U.S. as a terrorist group, after the Oct. 7 attack by the group into Israel, which has triggered a larger war.

“I’ve said it today and I repeat, Israel is willing to enter another humanitarian pause and bring in additional humanitarian aid in order to bring back the hostages,” Herzog said.

“So the entire responsibility for this issue lies with Sinwar and his people,” the president continued, referring to Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas’s military wing. 

“We should know that there are about 129 hostages still there in Gaza,” Herzog said. 

“But 129 including babies, children, women, and grown-ups and old people are all there. And first and foremost, I must must state outright that there are so many humanitarian cases that you know, make make it even more urgent to bring them back home. But we are dealing with a murderous I would say psychopathic leader who’s holding them and he’s using, he’s treading on our nerves.”

An earlier agreement at the end of November had led to the release of 120 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of more than 200 Palestinians prisoners from Israeli jails and a pause in fighting that allowed for an increase of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. 

That truce lasted for seven days. Israel and the U.S. have blamed Hamas for its end, arguing the group held back on a further release of women and children.

Israel restarted its military operation, arguing that such pressure would bring back Hamas to the table. Axios reported that Israel is offering a one-week pause in fighting. 

The first truce was implemented for a few days, and then extended an additional day in exchange for every 10 hostages Hamas identified and was willing to release. 

The latest talks come amid increasing pressure on Israel from the Biden administration and the international community.

The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would call for a temporary cessation of hostilities and that if passed without a U.S. veto, would be legally binding to implement — although Israel could choose to ignore the demand. Hamas, as a paramilitary and political group and designated terror group, is not a member of the United Nations. 

Released hostages have given a grim reflection of what like is like for those still in captivity.

They said they were held underground with little food and were subject to torture and assault.

Israel’s military operation is also a threat. Three hostages who managed to escape Hamas were killed by Israeli soldiers in what Israel said was an accident and a circumstance of the fog of war, despite the three men appearing shirtless, speaking Hebrew and waving a white flag. 

Herzog reiterated that Israel was not willing to enter into a long-term cease-fire, and that the goal of the military campaign in Gaza was not yet fulfilled. Israel is seeking to end Hamas’s ability to govern the Gaza Strip and destroy its military infrastructure and kill its leadership, steps it says is necessary to ensure Israel’s security.

The majority of the international community has called for Israel to implement a cease-fire given widespread destruction by its military campaign, which has killed thousands of people in Gaza — with Hamas estimating that the death toll is nearing 20,000. The territory is in a deep humanitarian crisis, with more than 1 million people displaced, tens of thousands wounded and injured, and critical shortages of basic necessities. 

The Biden administration, which has backed Israel amid divisions within the Democratic Party, has also sent clear signs it wants changes to military’s operations.

Despite Israel’s intense air and ground incursion into Gaza, Hamas has maintained the ability to shoot rockets into Israel. Israel has also exposed underground tunnels leading into Israel, some wide enough to fit vehicles, that it is working to destroy to counter the threat.

Some of these tunnels were not used in the Oct. 7 attack, when Hamas destroyed a border fence and crossed overground by truck, motorbike and foot, and from the air on motorized paragliders, undertaking a massacre of Israelis on the street, at a music festival and in their communities — killing about 1,200 people and taking 240 hostage.

Updated at 9:40 a.m. ET