Israel calls on Netanyahu to make a deal with Hamas after Sinwar's death

Israel calls on Netanyahu to make a deal with Hamas after Sinwar's death

With the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar Many Israelis see an opportunity to bring back the hostages still held in Gaza - and they are making their displeasure loudly heard.

Protests in Israel

On Saturday, large protest crowds gathered in several Israeli cities to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to demand his government make the return of hostages a top priority — a concern they say has been ignored.

The role of Sinwar

Sinwar was a hardliner who showed little interest in negotiating with Israel. The United States, which moderated the talks in Cairo, has repeatedly accused him of being one of the main blockers of a ceasefire. His death could pave the way for an agreement, but what happens next depends on Netanyahu.

Netanyahu's balancing act

The prime minister has long been trying to balance the demands of his far-right coalition partners, who are strongly opposed to any kind of deal with Hamas, with the increasingly loud calls of his Western partners, including the United States. They are urging him to reach an agreement and end the conflict in Gaza. Now he is once again facing large-scale protests calling for him to take action.

The opinions of the activists

Eran Nissan, an activist who has attended anti-government protests almost weekly for months and was at Saturday's gathering in Tel Aviv, told CNN that many Israelis want Netanyahu to negotiate. He states: "There is a clear majority and consensus in Israeli society on this issue. 105 hostages have already been returned in a deal." This reference was to the week-long ceasefire and hostage exchange in November.

The situation of the hostages

Israeli authorities say 101 hostages remain detained in Gaza, although it is believed up to a third of them may be dead. However, Nissan believes that Netanyahu's government has a reason to prolong the war. "A ceasefire is not in their interest because they know that after the war they will have to answer questions about their shared responsibility for the security failures that led to the October 7 attacks," Nissan said.

Netanyahu's strategy

Netanyahu has not yet presented a strategy for how he plans to use Sinwar's death, saying only that Israel will continue the fight "until victory." "This is the beginning of the day after Hamas. Evil has suffered a serious blow, but the task before us is not yet complete," he said.

The personal pain

For Yoni Levy, the only victory would be the return of his daughter Naama from Gaza. She had been serving as an observer at the Nahal Oz military base when Hamas stormed the area and kidnapped her. Images of her being loaded onto a truck, barefoot and badly injured, became symbols of the brutality of the Oct. 7 attack.

Appeal to the government

Yoni Levy said Sinwar's death gave the government an opportunity to act. "We killed this terrible man, but we shouldn't shift our focus," he told CNN. “Now is the time for the Prime Minister to accept the offer, even if it means stopping the war for a while and even releasing some of the murderous people on their side.”

The protests in Tel Aviv

Levy spoke last week at Hostages Square - the square in front of the Tel Aviv Art Museum where families and supporters of hostages held in Gaza have gathered almost weekly since October 7. This protest had a special meaning for Levy. Dozens of women who had known Naama or served in a similar military role gathered at the square to demand her release. They wore the same clothes Naama wore on October 7 and used red paint on her body to symbolize the injuries she suffered in the attack.

Reactions to Sinwar's death

As Hamas confirmed Sinwar's death on Friday, the group said it would not release the remaining hostages until Israel ends the war, fully withdraws from Gaza and releases Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu, meanwhile, vowed to continue the fight. However, in light of these developments, Netanyahu indicated that he is ready to talk. Shortly after Sinwar's death was announced, he offered to anyone holding hostages in Gaza that those who lay down their arms and return hostages to Israel would be released alive.

The urgency of a solution

Shira Efron, a security expert at the Israel Policy Forum, points out that the window of opportunity for a solution may be small since Hamas will soon have a new formal leader. "Terrorists tend to be quite flexible. You always find new ones," she said, adding that Sinwar's younger brother Mohammed, a hardliner seen as as ruthless as Yahya, could be one of the likely successors. She stressed that Israel must quickly find out who it can talk to and create appropriate channels for the targeted contacts.

The role of other groups

Some of the hostages may not even be held by Hamas, but may have been kidnapped by other groups or individuals. It is precisely these people that Israel is now targeting. Over the weekend, the Israeli military began dropping leaflets with a photo of Sinwar's lifeless body in Gaza, promising free passage to anyone who can help bring the hostages back. Alongside the picture it said: "Sinwar has destroyed your lives... Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. Finally the opportunity has come to free you from this tyranny. Whoever lays down his weapons and brings back to us those who have been kidnapped will be allowed to leave and live in peace."