In a dramatic televised address on Saturday night, opposition leader Benny Gantz called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman to unite in a temporary “hostage-redemption” government. His bold proposal aims to secure the immediate release of roughly fifty Israelis still held in Gaza and to sideline hard-line factions opposed to any deal with Hamas.
Gantz, head of the center-right National Unity party, framed his appeal as a moral imperative. “The duty of our state is to save the lives of Jews and all citizens,” he declared. “Each hostage in mortal danger could be our son, your son. It is time to form a government solely dedicated to bringing them home.”
He proposed a limited mandate: first, negotiate and finalize a hostage-for-prisoners deal; second, pass a universal conscription law integrating ultra-Orthodox citizens; and third, schedule national elections for spring 2026.
Netanyahu’s coalition lost its ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi allies in July, stripping him of an absolute majority. Gantz’s plan would assemble a four-party bloc commanding 72 seats in the 120-member Knesset:
– Likud (Netanyahu): 32 seats
– Yesh Atid (Lapid): 24 seats
– National Unity (Gantz): 8 seats
– Yisrael Beiteinu (Lieberman): 8 seats
Such a coalition could override objections from hard-liners who reject any diplomatic avenue with Hamas and demand a military eradication of the group.
Meanwhile, Tel Aviv’s streets thronged with tens of thousands of protesters. Families of the hostages gathered outside the Defense Ministry, chanting for an end to the war and a swift hostage exchange. “Instead of saving lives, Netanyahu condemns the survivors to death and us to an endless conflict,” said Yotal Cohen, whose brother Nimrod remains captive.
Neither Netanyahu nor the two opposition figures have formally responded to Gantz’s proposal.
Hamas on Monday approved a mediator-backed framework calling for a 60-day ceasefire and phased releases of hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Netanyahu endorsed “immediate talks under conditions acceptable to Israel,” including disarming all Gaza factions, but did not mention the mediators’ blueprint.
Egypt, the United States and Qatar have yet to confirm the venue or participants for the next negotiation round, pending Israel’s decision to dispatch a dedicated delegation.
Despite championing a hostage deal, Gantz stopped short of demanding an end to military operations. “The terrorists who starve our captives must face justice, as did the Nazis,” he said. “We will defeat them, but first, we save our brothers.”
The October 7, 2023, Hamas assault claimed 1,219 Israeli lives, mostly civilians. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has resulted in at least 62,622 deaths in Gaza, predominantly noncombatants, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures considered reliable by the United Nations.
As political tensions soar, Gantz’s unity gambit highlights the stakes: a choice between a government of emergency purpose or an indefinite, fractious war that risks more lives and deepens national division.
