Israeli Chief of Staff: A Hostage Deal Must Be Accepted, "The Ball is Now in Netanyahu's Court"

In a significant and highly publicized development, the Israeli Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, made a series of striking statements during a recent visit to the Haifa naval base. According to a report by Israel's Channel 13, Zamir explicitly stated, "There is a hostage release deal on the table, and we must accept it." These remarks have sent ripples through Israel's complex political and security landscape.

Zamir further elaborated, asserting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been instrumental in creating the "right conditions for the deal." He then placed the full responsibility for moving forward squarely on the shoulders of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, by declaring, "The ball is now in Netanyahu's court." These statements underscore a clear and growing pressure from within the military establishment on the political leadership to proceed with the negotiations.

Meanwhile, political divisions are deepening over the best course of action. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has once again sharply criticized a proposal made by Benny Gantz, the former Israeli Defense Minister and head of the "Blue and White" bloc. Gantz had suggested that both he and Avigdor Lieberman, the head of the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, should join Netanyahu's government to ensure the conclusion of the hostage deal in Gaza.

In a statement to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, Lapid countered, "There is no reason to sit in the government with Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich." He reiterated his "Yesh Atid" party's commitment to supporting the approval of the hostage deal without the need to join the ruling coalition.

The opposition leader also accused the current government of deliberately ignoring the proposed hostage and ceasefire deal. He drew a parallel to the government's previous promises made before the Rafah operation last year, when officials insisted that occupying the city would create the necessary conditions for the hostages' release.

Lapid concluded his remarks with a poignant question, highlighting the failure of those past promises: "And what happened? The hostages died. Our soldiers were killed, and we didn't get anyone back." His words cast significant doubt on the government's true intentions regarding the hostage issue.