Jerusalem, Israel - Oct. 8, 2024 - Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, yesterday (Monday, 7 October 2024), at Reichman University, addressed the Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism which is marking one year since the massacre of October 7.
(All quoted remarks are translated from Hebrew.)
At the start of his remarks, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Hirsch said: "I would like to apologize to the hostages and their families that we have, thus far, been unable to bring them back home." He then turned directly to our hostages and said:
"I would like to turn to our hostages and say to them: Please hear my voice; pay attention to my words. I know that you are in hell, that the way is difficult, torturous, and – unfortunately – long, too long. But we are working around the clock to bring you back home. We will never give up. We –my friends and I in the security establishment and the Government – will continue to overturn every stone. Many dedicated and committed people are working on your return, in Israel and around the world. Even though it seems that our attention is spread among many fronts, the war is large and we are being attacked on all sides, we are not taking our eyes off you, the hostages, not even for a moment, until we bring all of you back home."
Regarding the negotiations, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing said:
"The negotiation efforts, and the processes related to the negotiations, are continuing constantly. The negotiations cover a range of things. They are being held in various ways, processes and channels. This is happening. The problem is that it takes time.
It is known to all that the framework for a deal, we will call it Plan A, was in stages. The first of these is the humanitarian stage – women, the sick and wounded, the elderly and children. In my opinion, from an assessment of the hostages' situation, after a year, there is no doubt that they are all humanitarian cases. Given the passage of time, the situation and danger that the hostages are in, it is self-evident that I would want to give priority to returning all of them in one phase – they are all in a humanitarian situation and there is no time.
There is no time and there is tension between the clocks: The hostages' clock, the clock for Hamas's survival, the IDF combat clock and the time needed to achieve the objectives of the war, and the clock for events on multiple fronts. We know that the hostages have been in very difficult conditions for a year; there is no time. In every assessment of the situation and discussion of the hostages and the missing in the Cabinet, we point out the hostages' situation and the ticking of the clock – the hostages' clock. Therefore, we are working out of a sense of urgency and this is happening amidst the turbulent reality of a major, unprecedented war, in all sectors and in all aspects."
Regarding the discourse about the negotiations, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Hirsch said:
"Blessed is that which is hidden from view. False narratives and leaks, fake news and deepfakes, fill our lives and afflict the families and the entire public as well. There is great difficulty in holding negotiations amidst numerous leaks and open cards.
Hamas wants to strike at our most important weapon – the cohesion and unity regarding the objective. It aspires to fracture Israeli society, using the hostages. This is not an estimation but a fact. We cannot close our eyes and ignore this fact. I am for showing solidarity and cohesion, and favor taking strict care to have the issue on the agenda always, in Israel and around the world. This is true as long as internal pressures do not rely on false and tendentious narratives, on information stemming from psychological warfare or some other purpose, and on non-substantive considerations. It would be an understatement The reverberation of false narratives does not help to return the hostages."
In conclusion, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing said:
"There are differences of opinion, pointed discourse and various professional approaches, but decision-making about the hostages and the missing is done professionally, is based on values and is substantive. Even when, in my opinion, it is not perfect, I can understand the logic and likelihood of the very difficult processes and decisions."
Jerusalem, Israel - Oct. 8, 2024 - Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, yesterday (Monday, 7 October 2024), at Reichman University, addressed the Shabtai Shavit World Summit on Counter-Terrorism which is marking one year since the massacre of October 7.
(All quoted remarks are translated from Hebrew.)
At the start of his remarks, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Hirsch said: "I would like to apologize to the hostages and their families that we have, thus far, been unable to bring them back home." He then turned directly to our hostages and said:
"I would like to turn to our hostages and say to them: Please hear my voice; pay attention to my words. I know that you are in hell, that the way is difficult, torturous, and – unfortunately – long, too long. But we are working around the clock to bring you back home. We will never give up. We –my friends and I in the security establishment and the Government – will continue to overturn every stone. Many dedicated and committed people are working on your return, in Israel and around the world. Even though it seems that our attention is spread among many fronts, the war is large and we are being attacked on all sides, we are not taking our eyes off you, the hostages, not even for a moment, until we bring all of you back home."
Regarding the negotiations, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing said:
"The negotiation efforts, and the processes related to the negotiations, are continuing constantly. The negotiations cover a range of things. They are being held in various ways, processes and channels. This is happening. The problem is that it takes time.
It is known to all that the framework for a deal, we will call it Plan A, was in stages. The first of these is the humanitarian stage – women, the sick and wounded, the elderly and children. In my opinion, from an assessment of the hostages' situation, after a year, there is no doubt that they are all humanitarian cases. Given the passage of time, the situation and danger that the hostages are in, it is self-evident that I would want to give priority to returning all of them in one phase – they are all in a humanitarian situation and there is no time.
There is no time and there is tension between the clocks: The hostages' clock, the clock for Hamas's survival, the IDF combat clock and the time needed to achieve the objectives of the war, and the clock for events on multiple fronts. We know that the hostages have been in very difficult conditions for a year; there is no time. In every assessment of the situation and discussion of the hostages and the missing in the Cabinet, we point out the hostages' situation and the ticking of the clock – the hostages' clock. Therefore, we are working out of a sense of urgency and this is happening amidst the turbulent reality of a major, unprecedented war, in all sectors and in all aspects."
Regarding the discourse about the negotiations, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Hirsch said:
"Blessed is that which is hidden from view. False narratives and leaks, fake news and deepfakes, fill our lives and afflict the families and the entire public as well. There is great difficulty in holding negotiations amidst numerous leaks and open cards.
Hamas wants to strike at our most important weapon – the cohesion and unity regarding the objective. It aspires to fracture Israeli society, using the hostages. This is not an estimation but a fact. We cannot close our eyes and ignore this fact. I am for showing solidarity and cohesion, and favor taking strict care to have the issue on the agenda always, in Israel and around the world. This is true as long as internal pressures do not rely on false and tendentious narratives, on information stemming from psychological warfare or some other purpose, and on non-substantive considerations. It would be an understatement The reverberation of false narratives does not help to return the hostages."
In conclusion, the Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing said:
"There are differences of opinion, pointed discourse and various professional approaches, but decision-making about the hostages and the missing is done professionally, is based on values and is substantive. Even when, in my opinion, it is not perfect, I can understand the logic and likelihood of the very difficult processes and decisions."
