Former IDF Chief of Staff and former Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz clarified in a special interview with Channel 12 News that he supports the release of all terrorists from Israeli prisons in exchange for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas.
"Let them take all 6,000 prisoners - and return all our hostages," Mofaz said, adding, "I would return all of them to the Gaza Strip and first of all release our abductees and captives. It's not one or two. It's 229 as of today. It's an unbelievable number."
He was asked about his support for the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza and replied, "First of all, I take responsibility for the Disengagement, I am proud of this move. Proud of this move. Only now are the citizens of Israel realizing what would have happened to all those 10,000 settlers in 2005 if they had continued to stay in the Gaza Strip near the claws of these predators. There would be an incident involving Hamas every other day."
To the question of whether the security situation would not be better today had Israel remained in the Gaza Strip, Mofaz said, "What security? These settlements, 22 settlements, most of which are on the coast in the southern part in general. Most of them are on the coast, west of the Hamas positions. What protection did this give the State of Israel? What interest did we even have in being there? We only saved lives."
"The fact that there is now one person who is digging back 18 years in an attempt to find a few more culprits, that's fine, he's allowed to dig. He's allowed," he added, alluding to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "He's also collecting material on the Chief of Staff and the heads of the army and his Defense Minister who warned him that there was a tangible and immediate danger."