Former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin called on Sunday for an end to the war on the Gaza Strip in order to conclude a deal to return prisoners in the Strip, saying that it could be resumed later in a more massive and intense manner.

"We have to end the war in order to conclude a swap deal," Yadlin told Israel Army Radio.

Despite the massacres and genocide carried out by the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip for about 15 months, Yadlin - who headed the Israeli military intelligence between 2006 and 2010 - said that "those who do not have a heart must have a mind, and the mind says that the activation of the Israeli army will be more massive and effective when there are no kidnapped people."

The former head of Israeli military intelligence confirmed the possibility of resuming the war on the Gaza Strip after the return of the Israeli prisoners held in the Strip.

These statements reflect Israeli manipulation and a prior intention not to abide by the exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance after it is concluded, once the detainees are returned.

Demands and demonstrations

In a related context, the Israeli Army Radio quoted the head of the Jewish Agency, Major General (res.) Doron Almog, as saying, “We should have returned the kidnapped soldiers a long time ago.”

Doron said that all "terrorists" - referring to Palestinian prisoners - must be released to the Gaza Strip and the war must end.

Criticizing Israeli security systems, Doron said that the October 7, 2023 attack "did not happen because we released terrorists with blood on their hands, but because we failed and were not prepared," he said.

Yesterday, Saturday, thousands of people demonstrated in several Israeli cities against their government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding that it conclude a prisoner exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.

Haaretz newspaper said that a number of Knesset members participated in the demonstrations, and leaders in the Israeli opposition accused Netanyahu's government of sacrificing detainees and soldiers in Gaza and not wanting to end the war.

The families of the detainees in Gaza also accused Netanyahu and his government, in a conference they organized in front of the Defense Ministry headquarters, of obstructing the completion of the exchange deal for “political considerations.”

Discussions and accusations

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, discussed yesterday, Saturday, with a delegation from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip and ways to push them forward.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Qatari Prime Minister received in Doha the movement's delegation for the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip, headed by Khalil Al-Hayya.

The ministry added that during the meeting, the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza were reviewed, and ways to push them forward were discussed to ensure reaching a clear and comprehensive agreement that would put an end to the ongoing war in the Strip.

Channel 12 reported, citing Israeli sources, that Tel Aviv is working on formulating a mini-exchange deal before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Last Wednesday, Hamas accused Israel of setting new issues and conditions related to the withdrawal (from Gaza), the ceasefire, prisoners and the return of the displaced, which postponed reaching an agreement that was available.

Hamas confirmed in a statement at the time that this was happening despite the fact that the negotiations were proceeding seriously in Doha, and despite its showing responsibility and flexibility to make them a success.

The prisoner exchange deal negotiations - mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States - have stumbled more than once due to Netanyahu's insistence on "continuing control over the Philadelphi border axis between Gaza and Egypt and the Rafah crossing in Gaza, and preventing the return of Palestinian faction fighters to northern Gaza by inspecting returnees through the Netzarim axis in the middle of the Strip."

For its part, Hamas insists on a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a complete cessation of war in order to accept any agreement.

Tel Aviv is holding more than 10,300 Palestinians in its prisons, while it estimates that there are 100 Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas announced the killing of dozens of detainees in random Israeli raids.

With American support, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 153,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded - most of them children and women - and more than 11,000 missing, amid massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.