Hostage deal would defer planned Rafah operation, says Israeli foreign minister

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.