“This is a very sensitive and very fragile negotiation,” explains an Israeli diplomat

After the agreement reached between Israel and Hamas on Wednesday, 50 hostages must be released against 150 Palestinian prisoners. Even if the truce has been postponed, “we are sure that it will take place”, assures Barnea Hassid, diplomat at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“This is a very sensitive and very fragile negotiation”explained Thursday, November 23 on franceinfo Barnea Hassid, diplomat at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while an agreement was reached between the Hebrew state and Hamas for a humanitarian truce and the exchange of hostages. “We have to stay focused to make this exchange which is of major importance for us”recalled the diplomat.

50 Hamas hostages must be released from the Gaza Strip. But for the Jewish State, the objective has not changed: “One cause cannot take the place of the other, we will release the hostages at the same time as the elimination of Hamas”he said.

franceinfo: Is it difficult to make the families of the hostages wait longer?

Barnea Hassid: Absolutely. It’s an ongoing drama. Every moment is an eternity for them. It is a great suffering knowing that children, babies, women who have nothing to do with military affairs are being held by these assassins, these murderers. We really hope to get them out as quickly as possible in conditions of maximum security.

Why is it taking so long to implement the agreement?

This is a very sensitive and very fragile negotiation. We know who we are dealing with, with manipulators, liars. You really have to have very strong nerves, knowing that there will be ups and downs. There will be moments of psychological warfare that we will have to endure. We have to stay focused to make this exchange which is of major importance for us and we will do it with a lot of patience, but we are sure that it will take place.

How to explain to Israeli families that their children are not part of the deal?

These are truly choices that are unbearable to think about. The principle is to free the children and their mother first, but for us, everyone must be freed down to the last hostage.

When Benjamin Netanyahu said: “We will continue this war until we have achieved all our objectives”the desire to put an end to Hamas is still relevant?

We will continue. Hamas, everyone understands today, is an organization that must not take place on the Israeli border with this ideology of massacre and elimination. We will continue to rule out this possibility that Hamas can act, can govern the Gaza Strip.

“We must free the entire world from this Islamist terrorist organization. Israel is committed to doing so”

Barnea Hassid, diplomat at the Israeli Foreign Ministry

at franceinfo

We will not be able to allow him to exist permanently next to us, with the capacity to put us in danger. Everyone has seen what they can do.

For the families and other Israelis, the priority remains the return of the hostages. How long can this duality last?

We must continue. We can’t really go into details, but one cause cannot take the place of the other. We will release the hostages at the same time as the elimination of Hamas and arrive at the situation where Hamas will no longer be able to govern, will no longer be able to have military forces that could strike Israeli civil society in a manner so atrocious and carry out massacres.

If this war resumes after the truce, the other hostages will not come out?

We are ready to really conduct a very frank negotiation for our hostages. We see very clearly that on the Israeli side, we are also ready to release Palestinian prisoners who were engaged in terrorist attacks against Israelis. We must not forget it. These are not innocent civilians. These are attackers who can still come back and massacre Israelis.

Not everyone in prison is a terrorist…

All are involved in attacks against Israelis. They were charged by the courts. They are in prison because of this. There is no other reason.