Former Justice Minister Haim Ramon, in an op-ed published in Maariv, voiced strong opposition to the emerging agreement with Hamas, known as the "Witkoff Outline," warning that it represents "the worst of all worlds."
Ramon noted that under the current terms, Israel would effectively end the war while only ten of the living hostages would be released, leaving another ten in Hamas’s hands with no clear timeline for their return.
He addressed the pressure reportedly coming from US President Donald Trump on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept the deal and move toward ending the fighting. Ramon urged Netanyahu to respond that Israel will only agree to end the war if Hamas releases all hostages - both living and deceased - within a matter of days. "I very much hope that Trump will support such a move," he added.
According to Ramon, if Hamas accepts such a proposal, it would "secure the return of all hostages and heal the deep wound in Israeli society." He added that afterward, Israel could prepare to resume its military campaign in Gaza and eliminate what he called the "Hamastan state."
If Hamas refuses, Ramon argued, Netanyahu would have the moral and political justification to resume the war. "Even your domestic opponents will know that you were willing to go all the way to bring back all the hostages—and that Hamas is the one refusing to do so," he wrote.