Report: Netanyahu Rejected IDF's One-Phase Plan to End War and Free All Hostages

A new report by Kan 11 News claims that in May 2024, the IDF and its then-Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, proposed a comprehensive, one-phase plan to the political echelon that would have secured the release of all hostages and allowed the military to decisively defeat Hamas in Gaza. The report alleges that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plan, calling it a "defeat" during a limited cabinet meeting.

The IDF's plan, drafted by a team of officers from the Operations and Strategic Divisions, was based on the premise that once all hostages were safely returned, the military would have a free hand to eliminate Hamas without operational constraints. The initiative was reportedly shelved so quickly that it was never even presented to the Israeli negotiating team.

The plan ultimately approved in May was multi-phased, with the release of all hostages and an end to the war only coming after full implementation. However, according to the report, Netanyahu's decision prevented the deal from advancing to its second phase, which was intended to secure the release of all remaining living hostages.

The Prime Minister's Office has since changed its public stance on negotiations, recently stating that the government's policy is to pursue a comprehensive, one-deal agreement, not a series of partial ones. The conditions for such a deal, as outlined by the government, are: all hostages are released, Hamas is disarmed, the Gaza Strip is demilitarized, Israel maintains security control, and an alternative civilian administration is established that does not promote terror or threaten Israel. The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that only these conditions would prevent Hamas from rearming and "returning to the massacre of October 7 again and again."

Hamas recently claimed it was ready to discuss a comprehensive deal that would include the return of all hostages and an end to the war, but it maintained its previous preconditions, which are unacceptable to Israel. Defense Minister Israel Katz dismissed the Hamas statement, saying, "Hamas continues to close its eyes and utter empty words, but it will soon realize that it must choose between two options: accept Israel's conditions... or Gaza will become equivalent to Rafah and Beit Hanoun."