Hostages Before Hamas… A Shift in Priorities or Prelude to the End of the Gaza War?

30th June 2025

2 minutes read

Hostages Before Hamas… A Shift in Priorities or Prelude to the End of the Gaza War?

In times of war, when objectives accumulate, their order of priority can convey messages that go far beyond the battlefield.

This was evident in the recent remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who — for the first time since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 — placed the release of hostages at the top of his priorities, ahead of defeating Hamas, according to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.

Netanyahu stated: “There are now many opportunities. First and foremost, rescuing the hostages. Of course, we will also need to resolve the issue of Gaza and defeat Hamas, but I believe we will achieve both goals.”

In this context, the paper pointed out that Netanyahu referred to “rescuing” the hostages rather than “releasing” them, and avoided using the word “deal.”

Although his statement did not appear to imply a military rescue operation, it did, according to Yedioth Ahronoth, reflect growing momentum around a potential agreement.

Since the war began, Netanyahu has repeatedly reaffirmed that the primary objective is to destroy Hamas.

A goodwill gesture toward Trump?

This shift in rhetoric comes as U.S. President Donald Trump has been calling for a deal to bring about a ceasefire. On his platform Truth Social, he wrote Sunday morning: “Make the deal in Gaza, bring the hostages home.” Just days earlier, he had expressed confidence that a ceasefire would come soon.

Despite these public signals of progress, officials involved in the negotiations have warned that no breakthrough has yet been achieved.

Hamas has not yet officially responded to the proposed framework submitted by Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff. For this reason, some political analysts view Netanyahu’s statement as a gesture of goodwill toward Trump, rather than a sign of tangible progress.

Others believe the Prime Minister may be preparing Israeli public opinion for an end to the war, amid ongoing American pressure to reach a negotiated settlement.

Senior Israeli officials told Yedioth Ahronoth on Sunday that talks aimed at reaching an agreement “are ongoing at all times,” adding: “We hope for developments soon and continue working toward them.”

Nevertheless, the officials stressed that “as of now, there has been no breakthrough.”

During a meeting of the Israeli Security Cabinet held Sunday at the Southern Command headquarters, ministers were informed that Hamas remains insistent on ending the war as a prerequisite for any agreement.

The meeting ended without a clear decision, and further discussions are scheduled for Monday, according to the newspaper.