Former Commander of the Israeli Navy, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Eliezer Marom spoke to Arad Nir on Wednesday about the planned operation in the Gaza Strip and made clear that Israel can not make a partial deal with Hamas.
According to Marom, Hamas is very disturbed by Israel's decision to launch an offensive in Gaza City despite the danger to the hostages.
"Any partial deal would allow Hamas 60 days to regroup, and what we say in Khan Yunis will happen in other places too," he stated, referring to an incident earlier in the day where a cell of at least 18 armed terrorists attempted to raid an IDF outpost in Khan Yunis. Troops at the outpost eliminated most of the terrorists and foiled the attack.
Marom explained that Israel has two options: a comprehensive deal or a complex operation in Gaza.
Earlier this week, Hamas said that it agreed on a ceasefire and hostage agreement proposed by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
A senior Palestinian Arab official told the Lebanese Al-Mayadeen channel, which is associated with Hezbollah, that the proposal includes a withdrawal of up to one kilometer in the northern and eastern areas of the Strip, excluding the neighborhoods of Al-Shujaiya and Beit Lahia. In return for ten living hostages, 140 terrorists sentenced to life sentences and another 60 sentenced to over 15 years in prison would be released from Israeli prisons.
According to the report, the proposal also includes changes to the deployment maps of IDF forces in northern and eastern Gaza. Humanitarian aid would enter the Strip immediately upon the agreement’s implementation in large quantities, in accordance with the agreement signed on January 19. The aid will include fuel, water, electricity, equipment for hospital and bakery rehabilitation, and debris removal equipment.