Israel Never Cared About The Hostages

Exposing a cynical, murderous ploy.

Two Israeli hostages and a Hamas militant during a prisoner exchange. November 2023.

Since October 7^th, the Israeli hostages taken by Palestinian militants have been the focal point of the international conversation. The United Nations has repeatedly called for their release, American and Israeli politicians use them to distract from valid accusations of Israeli war crimes, and Zionist interests have made them the literal face of the crisis. Posters of the hostages have been displayed around the world, as far away as Denver, where I saw one yesterday. Given many of the captured are non-combatants, the hostages’ safety has been a paramount concern, even amongst those who recognize Israel’s barbarism against the Palestinians.

A Minnesota billboard featuring an Israeli hostage.

While I share the wish for all parties — the approximately 80 hostages held by Hamas and the 10,000 hostages held by Israel — to be reunited with their families, it is direly important to separate the safety of particular individuals from the Zionist weaponization of their likeness. While the rhetoric of Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other pro-Israel warmongers has centered on “Bringing The Hostages Home,” their actions show they’ve never given a damn about the hostages, only achieving Israel’s raison d'etre — the complete colonization of Palestine.

Hostages held by Israel and Hamas respectively.

Israel Doesn’t Want To Bring Them Home

Before the sun set on October 7^th, Israel had already revealed its disregard for its civilians. While investigations are still ongoing, it’s been confirmed that the IDF killed many of its own. An Israeli tank killed at least 12 hostages when it fired on a house thought to be occupied by Palestinian militants, and helicopter pilots were ordered to “stop any movement in and out of the Gaza Strip,” firing on vehicles carrying Israelis taken hostages. Haaretz’z military correspondent, Colonel Not Erez stated October 7th was a “mass Hannibal,” a reference to the Hannibal Directive, an Israeli protocol in which the IDF kills its soldiers and civilians rather than them be taken captive.

One day later, Israel had the opportunity to save every hostage. According to Haim Rubinstein, the former spokesperson for the families of the Israeli hostages, Hamas (the largest militant group in the Palestinian resistance) offered to release all the hostages on October 9^th in exchange for Israel not invading the Gaza Strip. Seeing the imperialist opportunity October 7^th presented them, the Netanyahu government declined.

“We later found out that Hamas had offered on October 9 or 10 to release all the civilian hostages in exchange for the IDF not entering the Strip, but the government rejected the offer.” - Haim Rubenstein

Despite rejecting their release, Israel has spent the last eight months claiming it is assaulting the Gaza Strip to “free the hostages.” Not accepting the October deal proves this is untrue, but even if we believe this absurdity, then the only conclusion is that the IDF is the dumbest group of humans ever assembled. Over the weekend, a bloody IDF raid rescued four hostages, bringing the total number of Israelis rescued via military operations to…. (drumroll please)…. seven. Comparatively, 112 hostages have been freed through negotiations. I’m neither a general nor a mathematician, but I strongly suspect peaceful prisoner transfers are the proven way to save more lives. 

Approximately eighty hostages have died since the start of the Gaza invasion. Israel blames their deaths on torture and mistreatment, while the Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas’ military wing) points the finger at the Israeli military. The fog of war will prevent me or anyone else from determining exactly what killed those eighty people, but we know one thing for sure: If Israel’s true intention was to ensure the hostages were saved, then the last thing they would do is starve them and drop a 2,000-pound JDAM missile on their last-known-location.

If I were trying to save someone, I would not flood the tunnel where they were held captive.

And there lies the crux of the issue.

The American-Israeli propaganda machine is trying to make us believe that Israel’s acts are a just cause, an attempt to rescue their captured civilians. But anyone who can smell shit can see that’s not the case. Indiscriminate bombings, blockading medical supplies, and forced hunger are not the actions of someone trying to rescue particulars from a conflict zone — they’re the behavior of maniacs who are willing to let a few of their own die so they may eradicate the surrounding population.

But you shouldn’t just take my word for it. Listen to those closest to the issue.

Over recent months, the hostages’ families have staged massive demonstrations calling for Netanyahu to accept a deal ending the military campaign in exchange for the return of their loved ones. In response, Netanyahu has threatened to “deprioritize” their family members in future hostage deals if they continue to criticize him.

The “March of Rage” in Tel Aviv, calling for a “HOSTAGE DEAL NOW.”

All of this is the backdrop to the current negotiation of a pending ceasefire deal that would see the hostages released in exchange for a cessation of hostilities — essentially, what Hamas offered back in October. Despite Biden claiming it’s “Israel’s proposal,” Israel has already come out and rejected it, claiming they won’t accept any deal that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza. This is yet another indication that everything the Palestinian people have been subjected to — death, disease, destruction — is not because of the hostages, but the political designs of Benjamin Netanyahu and the imperialist character of the Zionist state. President Biden admitted this in a recent interview, though he’s going to keep arming Israel because… reasons, I guess.

Question: “Do you believe Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his political self-preservation?”

Biden: “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion."

Like the overwhelming majority of the Palestine Liberation Movement, I wish for the Israeli civilians held captive to be returned safely, just as I wish the ten thousand Palestinian hostages held by Israel to be released immediately. We can recognize and call for this aim, but make no mistake: neither the U.S. nor Israeli governments share our concerns. As their actions show, their only intent is blood and conquest.

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In Solidarity — Joe