Former senior Shin Bet official: ‘This is the only way Israel can bring the hostages back’

In an interview with Maariv, former Shin Bet official, Yossi Amrusi, criticizes Israel’s current negotiation strategy and lays out his own plan to bring the hostages home.

As negotiations to release the hostages continue to stall and intelligence reports warn of a prolonged deadlock, Yossi Amrusi, a former senior Shin Bet official, voiced strong criticism of Israel’s current strategy toward Hamas in a recent interview with Maariv.

“Israel needs to declare that it is no longer willing to conduct negotiations in this way,” Amrusi stated, calling for a strategic shift in Israel’s negotiation tactics.

According to Amrusi, Hamas benefits from stalling: “A clever Persian trader once told me in the market: ‘You’ll win the deal when you’re willing to lose it.’ And why? For several reasons. One, Hamas benefits from dragging things out. It continues to hold the key to its survival, and in the meantime, who knows what could happen? European pressure, a false starvation campaign, Trump might flip on Israel, internal pressure on the government. All of these, and each on its own, are good for them.”

Amrusi also expressed doubt regarding the effectiveness of the mediators working with Hamas, “I’m not sure that Qatar, the mediator, even has the ability to decide anything. And it’s not even certain they have communication with Hamas’s internal leadership for consultations and decision-making.”

“It’s important to ask: is there anyone in Hamas’ Gaza who can make decisions? Who has control over those holding the hostages? Doe they even know where they are and what condition they’re in? After all, some of the hostages aren’t even in their hands…”

“I’ve always said Hamas will release the hostages when we force them to release them,” he went on to argue, “but we don’t know how to do that. Military pressure isn’t being applied to its full extent, and our soldiers’ hands are pretty tied. We’re bringing in humanitarian aid that gives Hamas life – oxygen, fuel, and money.”

“Government constraints and fears are holding back the opening of immigration offices and the establishment of humanitarian zones. We simply don’t know how to win,” he warned.

Amrusi’s twofold solution

According to Amrusi, the solution lies in two parallel actions:

“Today, in my estimation, Israel must declare that it is no longer willing to negotiate as it has been. Then, it must do two things simultaneously.”

“First, push as much as it can for separating Gazans from Hamas through designated humanitarian zones. That will also lead to control over humanitarian aid, so that it doesn’t reach Hamas. And second, since it is estimated that hostage locations are known – we must conduct local negotiations with those holding the hostages. Offer money and their lives in exchange for the hostages.”