By Said Amori
JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Saturday said that if a hostage deal is reached with Hamas, Tel Aviv will suspend a planned military operation in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
“If we reach a hostage swap deal (with Hamas), we will suspend operations in Rafah,” Katz told Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
Earlier, the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, released a video in which two hostages held in Gaza could be seen demanding the Israeli government to make a deal to secure their release.
Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told the same broadcaster: “If the choice is between continuing the war on Gaza and reaching a hostage swap deal, we must choose to make a deal.”
In response to the video, families of the hostages said in a statement: “Israel must choose between (invading) Rafah or a deal (with Hamas),” the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
Tel Aviv believes 134 Israelis are being held in Gaza, while Israel is holding some 9,000 Palestinians in its jails.
Israel has killed more than 34,300 Palestinians since an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 hostages taken.
A previous deal in November saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.
The US, Qatar and Egypt have tried to broker an agreement to release the remaining Israeli captives.
The conflict has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala