Channel 12 News’ chief political analyst, Amit Segal, warned that unless Israel changes the way it handles hostage situations, it will likely face additional kidnapping attempts, and the price for the release of future hostages will be much higher.
"The next hostage is already among us. He is celebrating tonight that Ran Gvili was released. The next female hostage may be watching this video right now. The mother of the next set of abducted twins may be preparing dinner, unaware of the fate awaiting her," Segal said.
He continued, "After the joy, the pain, the tears, and the emotions, we must face a bitter truth: The two years and three months since October 7 have made Jewish blood seem cheap, and the price of releasing a hostage has skyrocketed."
"Throughout the war, there were fierce debates - some argued, 'Don’t set a precedent with the 251 hostages. First bring them home, then set the rules.' But after releasing hundreds of murderers and agreeing to ceasefires, we must recognize that the next abduction will come at an even higher cost - unless we stop it here and now and establish clear rules," he added.
According to Segal, "There is already a report suggesting that no more than a single-digit number of terrorists should ever be released. This would significantly reduce the incentive to abduct Israelis. Before this becomes another 'Bibi versus anti-Bibi' issue, or a divide between right and left, or between Kaplan protests and the Gvura and Tikva forums - the time has come to stop it. Legislation is needed now."