REVEALED: Netanyahu Could Have Brought All the Hostages Back - He Chose Differently

In a bombshell exclusive by Channel 13 News, newly revealed secret protocols from high-level discussions expose deep divisions within Israel's leadership over a potential hostage deal with Hamas. The documents, obtained from meetings held in early March 2025, show that top security officials believed a full agreement to release all remaining hostages could have been achieved as early as then, with the option to resume fighting if needed.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused, opting instead to continue the war. Nearly six months have passed since the last hostage release in February 2025, leaving Israel mired in stalled negotiations and a grinding conflict in Gaza that has claimed thousands of lives on both sides.

The protocols highlight a critical miscalculation by the Israeli leadership: the assumption that intensifying humanitarian pressure, through restrictions on aid to Gaza, would force Hamas to surrender.

Instead, after five months, this approach has severely damaged Israel's international standing without significantly impacting Hamas.The first documented discussion occurred on March 1, 2025, shortly after the bodies of deceased hostages Itzik Elgarat, Ohad Yahalomi, Tzachi Idan, and Shlomo Mansour were returned. At the time, officials debated whether to advance to "Phase B" of the deal, which would involve negotiations on ending the war in exchange for additional hostage releases, or to escalate military operations.Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, the IDF's point person on the hostage issue, told participants: "The only chance to secure hostage releases is to discuss conditions for Phase B."

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer countered: "We are not willing to end the war with Hamas in power. We thought there would be an explosion when we entered talks; it didn't happen."

Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was explicit: "My preferred option is to reach Phase B. We can easily return to war, bring everyone back, and then resume fighting."

A security source added days after the partial release: "We can lead to more releases, but for that, we need to talk to them about Phase B, meaning we'll have to discuss conditions for ending the war."

Despite this consensus among security leaders, the political echelon, led by Netanyahu, rejected the proposal.The protocols also capture Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's views. When Bar suggested pausing the war to retrieve hostages and resuming if necessary, Mossad chief David Barnea supported the idea. Smotrich rebuked: "You are misleading the public that we can stop the war and return because Trump will allow us. This is ignorance."

Defense Minister Israel Katz advocated for a partial approach: "We are trying to advance the Witkoff outline, but if Hamas returns a certain number of hostages, even if not half of them, that's excellent."

In response to the revelations, the Hostages' Families Headquarters stated: "The findings are serious and unequivocally prove what we've been claiming for a year and a half. It was possible to reach a comprehensive deal to return all hostages. The Israeli government deliberately thwarted deals to save the hostages while misleading the public. Senior security officials presented feasible, creative options time and again to return all hostages and defeat Hamas."

They added: "The government rejected, torpedoed, and missed every opportunity. Dozens of hostages abducted alive were murdered in captivity waiting for a deal the government never intended to advance. Even now, families of 50 hostages await their return, the living for rehabilitation, the dead for proper burial. 50 soldiers have fallen since the previous deal. No military achievements. No hostages. The government is responsible for the repeated sabotages. Nevertheless, the people of Israel will bring the hostages home."

EDITOR'S NOTE: It's important to note that Channel 13 is not exactly pro-Netanyahu or pro the current government. This explains why they felt the need to so kindly inform all of us that we could have gotten the hostages back, if not for Netanyahu, the Big, Bad Wolf. It's getting a bit old, to be honest. Netanyahu is not G-d, he's not a prophet. And if he could get us all safety from terror and Hamas and all the hostages back, you better believe he would have.