Israel-Hamas Ceasefire: Painful Gamble with Deadly Risks

Jan 16, 2025 12:23 pm | News, Ticker, Virtual Jerusalem

Netanyahu already saying that Hamas is insisting that Israel must waive veto on some high-profile murderers, an issue that may lead to the deal unraveling, despite all the hoo-hah and long-awaited hopes of hostage families.

The ceasefire in principle agreement between Israel and Hamas, aimed at securing the release of 94 abducted Israelis and bringing a pause to fighting and withdrawal of some IDF forces, has ignited a storm of debate across the country. While the deal offers the possibility of bringing home hostages—dozens of whom are known to be dead—it comes at a heavy and perilous cost: the release of more than a thousand terrorist prisoners, many of them convicted of murder in terrorist attacks. Critics warn that this dangerous precedent will surely lead to future bloodshed, as many of these individuals are eager to return to terrorism.

Already Hamas is insisting that Israel waive its right to veto especially problematic terrorists from its prisons.

The Human Cost of Concessions

Under the agreement, Israel has agreed to release over 150 Palestinian prisoners for five female soldiers, and 30 for each release civilian. Many Israelis are haunted by the prospect of these individuals resuming their roles in orchestrating and carrying out terror attacks. Past prisoner exchanges have shown that released terrorists often rejoin the ranks of groups like Hamas, actively participating in plots against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

One high-profile example is Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s current political leader in Gaza. Released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, Sinwar has since risen to prominence, playing a pivotal role in Hamas’s military and political strategies. Critics of the current deal point to such cases as a grim reminder of the risks Israel takes in these exchanges.

“We are trading the safety of our future for the possibility of saving a few today,” said retired IDF Colonel Miri Eisin. “It’s not just a question of morality; it’s a question of survival. How many more will die because we handed them the tools to continue their war against us?”

The Numbers Tell a Story

The deal underscores the harsh arithmetic of war. Among the 94 abducted individuals, 34 or more are believed to have been killed in captivity, their remains used as bargaining chips by Hamas. For the living, the hope of rescue is tempered by the grim reality that freeing them may come at the cost of future Israeli lives.

A 2019 study by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center found that nearly 50% of released terrorists returned to terror-related activities. This chilling statistic casts a shadow over the current agreement, raising fears that some of those being freed will soon reappear on Israel’s radar—as perpetrators of new attacks.

The Emotional and Strategic Divide

For families of the abducted, the deal represents a lifeline, albeit a fragile one. The uncertainty surrounding their loved ones’ fate is unbearable, and the prospect of bringing even one hostage home is worth almost any price to them. Yet for the families of past terror victims, the release of convicted murderers reopens wounds that have barely healed.

“I lost my son to one of these monsters,” said Miriam, the mother of a soldier killed in a suicide bombing. “Now I have to watch as his killer walks free, celebrated by the same people who danced in the streets after he died. How can we live with this?”

The strategic implications are equally divisive. Critics argue that Hamas’s use of hostages as bargaining chips sets a dangerous precedent, incentivizing future abductions. Furthermore, the pause in military operations gives Hamas a chance to regroup, rearm, and fortify its positions, potentially escalating the conflict when hostilities inevitably resume.

A Deal on Fragile Ground

The ceasefire itself is precarious, dependent on mutual adherence to its terms. Israel has already warned that any breach by Hamas will result in an immediate resumption of its military campaign. Meanwhile, Hamas has exploited the ceasefire to claim a propaganda victory, presenting the prisoner releases as evidence of its strength and resolve.

“We must ask ourselves: What are we gaining in the long term?” said security analyst Amos Yadlin. “This is not just about 94 hostages; it’s about the safety of millions of Israelis. By releasing terrorists, we are arming Hamas with both manpower and morale.”

3 Comments

  1. Margita Kolcakova

    I’m still hesitating. I can’t believe that two as sensible as Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump would reach such an outrageous level! As if they’ve lost their minds! They know very well that the number, probably more than a million Palestinians-Philistines and Hamas will never, NEVER accept that Israel will rule this country. That’s their principle, like the Philistines once did, either they kill the Israeli people or they perish. There’s no other way but to drive them out of the country, and far, far away! Otherwise they’ll repeat all the evil, maybe even with nuclear warheads! What’s so evil that it doesn’t fit into your heads???

    Just the conditions, as if they were the winners, why are you allowing them to do this?
    Or is it a strategy that can’t be revealed for now? Because, I would rather it were a real strategy, but with an unclear end… I have encountered many skirmishes in my life with primitive people, but insidiously cunning, who attacked from behind and it was very difficult to point out their actions directed against me, it cost me a lot of effort and caution and fights, tears and it seemed to me that I could no longer do it, only after a while I managed to free myself from it by leaving the country and never returning to that area to live. Those people simply said that they would destroy me. and I knew that they said what they really intended.
    We Christians believe in the WORD of God, Israel should have the whole country alone, not for someone from the world to dictate to it what to do and how! This Agreement is unacceptable for Israel! This is how it should be operated and B. Netanyahu should also come out to the world and operate by saying that what was caused to Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 cannot be reconciled and any Agreement with Hamas and the Palestinians is only an extension of the killing of Israelis!, which ISRAEL CANNOT ACCEPT! A PROPOSAL MUST BE SENT TO THE UN AND ALL GOVERNMENTS OF THE WORLD: TAKE THE PALESTINIANS, WHEN YOU SUPPORT THEM SO ZEALOUSLY!! WHAT ABOUT EGYPT AND WHAT ABOUT QATAR, TURKEY ERDOGAN, OR ANY OTHER STATE ON EARTH??? TAKE THEM!!! ENOUGH!!! WE ARE HOME, THEY ARE ALIENS!!! TAKE YOUR BELOVED ONES!!! AND COMMIT THE WORLD TO ACT!!! NOT FOR ISRAEL TO TAKE THEM BACK AND LET THEM KILL THEM IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN THEIR HOMELAND!!!

  2. K.C.

    You stupid Jews! As an American Christian i
    love, pray for & support you. Even financially. BUT WILL YOU NEVER LEARN? MOMMIES crying for their children should not become a reason to cave. DO NOT GIVE INTO HAMAS. RID GAZA & TAKE IT BACK… PERIOD! STOP ANY & ALL CONCESSIONS! HAMAS & PALESTINIANS ARE TERRORISTS!

    YOU have been burned every time you give an inch. STOP! And turn & trust Yahweh

    • Sandra L Smith

      I doubt it’s the ,majority of Jews, but only a selfish minority refusing to recognize the threat to themselves and their fellows of such a “deal” to get their loved ones back. This “deal” is NO “deal” for Israel! It can ONLY end very badly for them.