(4) The hostages represent a horrific dilemma for Israel. That’s exactly why the terrorists took them and have kept most of them alive so far (I assume most are still alive). They learned the enormous value of hostages years ago. It is ironic that this is so because as much as the Palestinians value death, the Israelis value life and in the past were willing to engage in exceedingly lopsided prisoner exchanges that only encouraged the taking of more hostages. Just as in the past, the families of the October 7 hostages are demonstrating and pressuring the Israeli government to do just about anything to get them back. The families are suffering intensely, and one can hardly blame them for their actions, but if the government submits the repercussions will be dire and even suicidal as far as Israel’s very survival goes.

The speakers in the video say that Sinwar and the other Gazan leaders are of course well aware of this dynamic and feel smugly safe from being killed because they are currently holed up in the tunnels surrounded by the remaining hostages. They are counting on Israel being unwilling to kill the hostages in order to get to the Hamas leaders. And those leaders may indeed be correct that the presence of the hostages does guarantee the safety of Sinwar and the others. I don’t know what is going on in the Israeli leaders’ minds concerning the hostages, but the situation is horrendous and there seems to be no good solution – unless the Israeli leaders have tricks up their sleeves that I can’t even imagine at this point. I certainly hope they do.

[The only way to end hostaging as a tactical and strategic plan is to make it valueless. That’s harsh, but Israel has been incentivizing Hamas’ hostaging strategy for years, and even after October 7 still conducted lopsided exchanges, although far less so than before. When hostaging stops working and/or becomes more costly than its benefit, it will stop. And ONLY when it becomes valueless will it stop. — Ed]