“The only way to bring [the hostages] back is by continuing the agreement [with Hamas], and what this means is clear: stopping the war and withdrawing Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip,” says Haaretz’s lead editorial on Feb. 21. “There is no other possibility, certainly not by means of false promises of a ‘total victory,’” wrote the editors of the Israeli newspaper.
The editorial begins with the return to Israel of the remains of four people abducted on Oct. 7, 2023. “The death of the four—and of many others, both hostages and soldiers—is not a decree of fate, but the outcome of decisions made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.” The editorial blames the Israeli prime minister for sabotaging negotiations to secure the return of the hostages.
