Israel’s Immoral Hostage Deal: A Path to Greater Bloodshed
(Guest Post from Victory NOW Substack)
Background on The Gaza-Israel War
A 32-Year War Without Peace
Since 1993, Israel and Gaza have been at war, with negotiated temporary pauses (“ceasefires”) in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. Peace has never been achieved.
The October 7, 2023 Attack
On October 7, Gaza broke the latest ceasefire, murdering 1,200 civilians, injuring 3,400, and taking 250 hostages. Atrocities included rape, families burned alive, and recordings used for propaganda.
How We Got Here
The Failed Occupation (1967–1993)
Israel occupied Gaza from Egypt after it lost it in a war of aggression. A proper post-war occupation should transform a defeated aggressor into a free and peaceful society, as demonstrated by the U.S. occupations of Nazi Germany and Japan. However, Israel’s incomplete occupation of Gaza failed to:
Disarm and demilitarize
Publicly try and punish its leaders
De-legalize and de-radicalize its ideas
Reform its governance and legal system
This failure allowed Gaza’s aggression to persist.
Surrendering Gaza to Terrorists (1993)
In 1993, Israel partially surrendered Gaza to the PLO, a terrorist organization, legitimizing it. In 2005, Israel surrendered Gaza fully to the PLO. In 2007, Hamas, another terrorist organization, was voted into power, expanding Gaza’ tyrannical aggression.
War Strategy of Containment and Charity (1993–present)
Israel’s war strategy of playing defense and waiting to be attacked while providing charity has empowered Gaza’s aggression rather than neutralizing it.
Moral Negligence and October 7
October 7 was preventable. Israel’s decades-long failure to defeat and transform Gaza left Israel vulnerable. Legal accountability is needed for this moral failure.
Why Gaza Took Hostages in War
Exploiting Israel’s Weakness
Gaza knows it cannot defeat Israel militarily and that Israel could enforce unconditional surrender with sufficient force. Instead, Gaza exploits Israel’s adherence to Western military customs like distinction, proportionality, restraint, de-escalation, ceasefires, and proportionality—customs that protect aggressors.
Hostages as a Weapon
By taking hostages, Gaza sought to pressure Israel into avoiding total war and negotiating instead. This strategy secures charity, the release of terrorists, and ceasefires, enabling Gaza’s survival and future aggression.
Israel’s History of Hostage Deals
Gaza exploits Israel’s history of trading many terrorists for few hostages:
1971 Shmuel Rosenwasser: One PLO terrorist for a soldier.
1985 Jibril: 1,150 terrorists for 3 soldiers, fueling the First Intifada.
1985 TWA: 700 Hezbollah terrorists for hijackers’ demands.
2008 Regev-Goldwasser: 5 Hezbollah terrorists and 199 remains for 2 soldiers’ bodies.
2011 Shalit: 1,027 terrorists freed, including Yahya Sinwar, who led the October 7, 2023 attack.
Each deal encouraged Gaza to repeat hostage-taking.
Israel’s War Approach Since October 7
No Demand for Unconditional Surrender
Israel did not demand unconditional surrender but instead fought weakly, negotiated throughout, and had no plan for post-war occupation and transformation into a peaceful territory.
Fighting for a Hostage Deal, Not Victory
Israel’s focus has been on applying sufficient force to negotiate more favorable hostage deals, leading to two agreements, ceasefires, and a trajectory toward retreat.
The Cost of The Hostage Deal Strategy
Fifteen months after October 7, Israel has suffered 405 soldiers murdered and 5,617 wounded. Hostages endured over 15 months of captivity.
Deception and Distrust
It is likely that Israel’s government lied about its initial goal to eliminate Gaza’s government, intending to scare Gaza into negotiating a hostage deal. This deception extended to Israeli soldiers—who were kept unaware to avoid demoralizing them—and to Israeli citizens who wanted unconditional surrender.
The Deal NOW Approach to the Hostages in the Gaza War
Public Pressure for a Hostage Deal at Any Cost
Since October 7, many Israelis have demanded a hostage deal at any cost. Slogans like "Bring Them Home NOW!" and frequent rallies across the country add pressure on the government.
Why Deal NOW is Immoral and Counterproductive
Negotiating with Evil Aggressors Strengthens Evil and Harms the Good
Imagine if Britain had negotiated a hostage deal with Nazi Germany, offering a temporary pause, charity, retreat, and the release of top Nazi leaders. Such a deal would have legitimized and strengthened Nazi Germany’s tyrannical aggression while weakening Britain and the Allies. The same applies to Gaza. Any negotiation by Israel with Gaza rewards it with undeserved moral recognition, betrays justice, and guarantees a longer, bloodier war.
Appeasement Fails
Rewarding or bribing evil with concessions embolden aggressors, as seen with Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Unconditional Surrender: The Only Solution
The only way to defeat evil is through unconditional surrender achieved with maximum force, as the Allies demonstrated in World War II.
Israel’s True Moral Obligation
Israel’s primary duty is to protect all its citizens—soldiers and civilians—by achieving Gaza’s surrender as quickly as possible.
Harming Israelis
Hostage deals cost Israel 6,022 casualties, 24 times the original number of hostages. Soldiers face physical and emotional scars, disrupted lives, and grief.
Devaluing Soldiers’ Lives
Hostage deals prioritize hostages over soldiers, treating the latter as expendable. As one soldier stated: “Our blood is no less red than the hostages.”
Encouraging Aggression
Releasing 1,300 terrorists increases future attacks, as seen with Yahya Sinwar, a 2011 hostage deal releasee who planned the October 7 attack.
Lowering Morale
While Gaza celebrates deals as victories, Israeli morale sinks. Many see these agreements as signs of defeat.
Incentivizing Hostage-Taking
Past deals have proven to Gaza that hostage-taking works, encouraging future attempts, including kidnapping of Jews and Israelis worldwide.
Denying Justice
Releasing terrorists denies justice to their victims and enables further violence.
Psychological and Economic Damage
Hostage deals prolong fear and uncertainty, disrupt daily life, and harm mental health. Economic impacts include weaker currency, reduced investment, and irreplaceable loss of life.
Prolonging Hostages’ Suffering
Hostage deals extend captivity, subjecting them to daily torture, hopelessness, and despair. Immediate maximum force after October 7 could have likely secured their release within weeks.
The Moral and Productive Alternative: Victory NOW
The Goal: Unconditional Surrender
Israel must achieve unconditional surrender swiftly, minimizing harm to Israelis and recovering hostages afterward. This ensures victory, justice, peace, and security.
The Strategy: Maximum Force
Israel must use rapid, overwhelming, and unrelenting force to break Gaza’s will to fight. For example:
Complete Blockade: Cut off all power, food, water, medicine, and internet. Do not allow any international charity.
Hostage Exchanges: Hold Gazan civilians for swaps, especially those related to its leadership.
Ultimatum: Demand hostages’ return within 72 hours.
Rescue Attempts: Conduct low-risk operations.
Total War: Use maximum necessary force if demands are unmet.
Had this been implemented immediately after October 7, Gaza would likely have surrendered within weeks.
Post-War Occupation and Transformation
Israel must occupy Gaza to eliminate its aggression, disarm it, punish its leaders, dismantle its ideology, and establish a government that protects individual rights—either by creating a new self-government or through annexation like East Jerusalem.
The Allies’ Model
The Allies achieved victory and lasting peace by defeating and transforming Nazi Germany and Japan. Israel must follow this proven strategy.
Historical Precedent: Britain in World War II
Refusing Deals for POWs
Despite 170,000 POWs, Britain refused to negotiate with Nazi Germany, understanding that only unconditional surrender would achieve their release, justice, peace, and security. This was an emotionally hard but moral decision.
The Dunkirk and Calais Decision
Britain prioritized Dunkirk’s evacuation of 300,000 soldiers, sacrificing 4,000 soldiers at Calais to delay German forces. This hard decision preserved Britain’s army and morale, contributing to eventual victory. This was another emotionally hard but moral decision.
Avoiding Public Pressure to Negotiate with Evil
Imagine if Britain had succumbed to public demands for deals with Nazi Germany. Such compromises would have prolonged the war and increased suffering.
Learn More about the Victory NOW Book and Movement
This op-ed is authored by the creators of Victory NOW, a new book and movement urging Israel to adopt a 7-step plan for peace through victory, inspired by the Allies’ World War II strategy.
The book, Victory NOW (releasing March 2025), outlines this plan and provides detailed evidence and reasoning as to why it is the only moral and practical approach in war. The book explains many aspects of this op-ed, such as unconditional surrender, total war, and post-war occupation and transformation.
Visit our Substack and our website to learn more, to join the waitlist, and to join the fight for victory, justice, peace, and security.