Netanyahu's dilemma: Partial hostage deal or occupation of Gaza?
A number of sources present at a "decisive" meeting of the narrow cabinet said that the Prime Minister wants to try for getting half the hostages out first.
Sources present at a "decisive" meeting of the narrow cabinet said that the Prime Minister preferred going for a partial hostage deal rather than ordering the IDF to occupy the entire Gaza Strip and risk the remaining hostages' lives, according to Israel Hayom.
According to a number of ministers present, the IDF's claim to have exhausted military options against Hamas as part of Operation Gideon's Chariots is incorrect, and there is still more that can be done. The cabinet also discussed the possibility of besieging the remaining Hamas forces in the areas they still control.
Netanyahu has consistently sought to achieve at least a partial hostage deal which would extricate about half of the remaining 20 living hostages, who are being subject to increased torture and abuse according to existing reports. Hamas, meantime, has not budged from its demand that any final hostage deal lead to a complete IDF withdrawal from the Strip and their being left in charge of it and any reconstruction effort.