After it was learned that the Chief of Staff is considering releasing the terrorists "stuck" in the area only if Hamas first releases Lieutenant Hadar Goldin - now the reason is revealed. The officer who became a sergeant has been held there since the beginning of the war, and the terrorist organization has avoided handing him over for burial until now. Zamir: The instruction - to eliminate the terrorists. Safe passage? Let them release him first

Yossi Yehoshua

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Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir noted in recent days, as reported last night (Tuesday) on Ynet, that he

Willing to consider

the release

The 200 terrorists who are "stuck" in Rafah

Just for the space

Hadar Goldin

Who has been held in Gaza since 2014. Now it is possible to publish what is behind this condition: Israel knows that Lieutenant Goldin is being held in the same underground tunnels in the area where the terrorists are trapped - since the beginning of the war.

The late Hadar Goldin (Photo: Courtesy of the family)

Thus, in essence, Israel is making it clear that Hamas, which has not yet released Goldin, knows full well where he is being held, even though it has so far refrained from returning the kidnapped spaceship, which is considered a symbol for the terrorist organization.

The terrorists, as is known, are in an underground area beyond the Yellow Line, in territory controlled by Israel, and they have been there since the ceasefire went into effect - and so they are essentially"stuck" there.

The Chief of Staff said at a command conference that the directive to the Southern Command is to eliminate all pockets of terror and all terrorists living underground, with an emphasis on the Rafah area in Israeli territory beyond the Yellow Line. He emphasized that if it is decided to allow the terrorists' safe passage, then only on the condition that Goldin be released - and only on the condition that the withdrawal be without weapons.

Two political sources confirmed yesterday in a conversation with Ynet that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

shekel

to allow the terrorists to pass through, and later a political source on behalf of the Prime Minister said that this would not happen. Netanyahu considered this out of a desire to return the kidnapped victims and strengthen the IDF's establishment on the Israeli side of the Yellow Line, but the decision has not yet been made - according to three sources at the political level.

Yesterday's announcement that Netanyahu was considering the move angered some cabinet ministers, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as the family of the late Efi Feldbaum, who was killed last week in Rafah."This is absolute madness, Mr. Prime Minister. Stop it," the Finance Minister wrote.

Following this, Netanyahu backed down, and his office stated that"the Prime Minister did not consider allowing terrorists to cross, the Prime Minister insists on implementing the outline as he said." At the same time, the office denied any"deal" with Hamas to release terrorists in exchange for the return of additional casualties.