Israeli Cabinet Faces Divisions Over Prisoner Swap Deal with Hamas

The Israeli Ministerial Committee (Cabinet), chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held an important meeting last night on Monday, June 30th, to discuss the future of the war in Gaza and the issue of releasing Israeli prisoners held by Hamas.

This is the second meeting in less than 24 hours amidst deep political divisions among Israeli leaders regarding the possibility of reaching a prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas.

According to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, the meeting witnessed sharp disagreements between government ministers and military leaders, with some ministers refusing to negotiate any deal, while others emphasized the need to cease hostilities to release the prisoners whose lives are increasingly at risk day by day.

The Israeli army also confirmed that the operation "Judea's Caravans" targeting Hamas is in its final stages, but the government has not yet made a final decision.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu is preparing to travel to Washington next Sunday, amid expectations that US-Israeli talks will continue to form a temporary ceasefire agreement in Gaza, including a prisoner exchange. Israel estimates that there are about 50 prisoners in Gaza, including 20 still alive, in exchange for over 10,000 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons.

Despite continuous calls from some Israeli leaders, such as opposition leader Yair Lapid and "State Camp" party leader Benny Gantz, who demanded a comprehensive deal to release all prisoners, other ministers like right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reject any partial deal, insisting on forcibly liberating the abductees only.

At the same time, the Israeli Prisoners' Families Association announced its support for Netanyahu's commitment to prioritize the release of prisoners, considering that the only solution is a comprehensive deal to immediately stop the fighting.

Internationally, the United States plans to pressure the Israeli government to end the war, with close monitoring from the White House indicating optimism by US envoy Steve Witkoff about the possibility of reaching a near agreement, despite Israel's strict conditions and Hamas' refusal to compromise on its demands for a ceasefire and Israeli army withdrawal from Gaza.

These developments come amid the ongoing US-backed Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 7, 2023, which has resulted in about 190,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, mostly women and children, in addition to thousands missing and displaced.