Israel Shouldn’t Be Told When to Resume Fire

The United States on Monday announced that a planned four-day pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas has been extended by another two days to secure the release of an additional 20 hostages (adding to the 50 freed as part of the initial deal). The decision by Israel to negotiate over the release of hostages in exchange for releasing Palestinian prisoners, including some who were convicted of attempted murder, is a fraught one.

Israel is no stranger to how such exchanges come back to haunt it. In 2011, Israel agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners to secure the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been kidnapped by Hamas and held hostage for five years. One of the prisoners released was Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza who served as mastermind of the October 7 attacks. The huge haul Hamas received for a single Israeli soldier was no doubt one motivating factor in the terrorist group’s decision to take hostages once again.