On January 16, The Jerusalem Post reported that following the brokerage efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the US, Israel and Hamas had agreed to a three-stage deal to release the 98 remaining hostages and slowly phase out the IDF’s activity in Gaza.
Phase one of the deal entailed the release of 33 Israeli hostages, which included all women, children, and men over 50, and special humanitarian cases. In exchange, Israel was to release about 2,000 convicted terrorists, which included about 250 sentenced to life, along with about 1,000 terrorists captured after October 7. The IDF was to reduce its presence in areas in Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor.
“Negotiations on implementing the second phase will begin by the 16th day of phase one, and it is expected to include the release of all remaining hostages, a permanent ceasefire, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,” the Post wrote on the front page.
Phase one began in mid-January, a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, and successfully saw those 33 Israeli hostages, as well as five Thai hostages, released by Hamas. It was a weekly roller coaster of emotions as the frail, emaciated hostages emerged from captivity, paraded by Hamas in a humiliating manner, returned to incredibly emotional homecomings with their families, and the entire nation glued to their screens.
And then, on March 1, it stopped. Phase one was over, and there was no phase two in sight.
A Palestinian Hamas terrorist and a member of the Red Cross sign documents during the handover of hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami as part of the hostage deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. Eller is standing to the left, February 8, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)
In essence, there haven’t been any negotiations over phase two
The date for the negotiations to begin in mid-February came and went. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and he appointed confidant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to lead the Israeli negotiating team.
But in essence, there haven’t been any negotiations over phase two. There have been alternative plans bandied about, such as the Witkoff plan of mid-March of extending phase one by several weeks in exchange for Hamas releasing five living and 10 dead hostages. When that failed, an alleged Hamas offer to release five hostages was rebuffed by Israel, which is insisting on 10.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire that began with phase one continued, with Hamas no longer releasing any hostages. As my colleague Seth Frantzman wrote last month, Hamas was getting a free pass for Ramadan.
Israel’s answer to that was to return to the military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, which after a week seems to be ramping up. That move, evidently made in coordination with the Trump administration, is supposed to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to give in and release more hostages.
But as we know from the fighting that took place throughout 2024 without any movement on hostage releases, that strategy may not be so efficient. Furthermore, as many released hostages and families of captive hostages have stated, the renewed warfare endangers the remaining hostages’ lives.
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SO, AS we return to a period of fighting instead of talking, the question emerges: What happened to phase two?
Phase two, which on the surface would bring back all the remaining hostages – both alive and dead – seems to have simply withered away and died. But did it ever have life?
It’s hard to believe that Netanyahu and his coalition ever entertained “a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.” That would mean not only the survival of Hamas but its continued rule of Gaza, something that butts up against Netanyahu’s “total victory” mantra and his coalition partners’ dreams of retaking Gaza for good, along the lines of Trump’s vision.
Not to mention, the acceptance of phase two would force those partners to leave the coalition and thus topple the government.
Leaders of the opposition – opposition head Yair Lapid, National Unity leader Benny Gantz, Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, and The Democrats leader Yair Golan – urged Netanyahu to accept phase two in February and offered to back him from the outside.
“We call to shorten the wait for their return and to seek a one-time release and vow to allow political and public backing for this move,” they said.
Liberman, especially, stated that there was no reason not to withdraw from Gaza in exchange for the rest of the hostages, adding that whatever agreement is made, Hamas will eventually infringe on it and thus enable Israel to finally remove the terror organization from power militarily, without being restrained by the hostage factor.
There were indications, from Arab media reports, that Hamas was willing to move on to phase two; but, of course, based on all the infractions, posturing, and delays it implemented during phase one, there were certainly no guarantees that the terror organization would stand by the terms.
The dilemma is: Is it better to save as many hostages as possible and agree to the terms of phase two, or attempt to strong-arm Hamas into concessions as the government has decided to do?
We’ve seen – in the Hamas propaganda videos and from testimony by released hostages – that time is running out. The hostages are in dire condition, and who knows how much longer they can survive under the cruel Hamas conditions?
A prolonged military offensive now is not the way to secure their release – we saw that last year.
We know that Hamas will never release all of the hostages in a deal – they’re insurance. But we can get many more out through the renewal of a ceasefire that leads to the implementation of phase two.
It’s time to forget about total victory and about political considerations. Deal with the devil and bring home whoever we can – now.
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili"
Please urgently remove this fake hotel from your website. It is a scam and it is deceiving many customers. It is advertised on all social networks as a scam! very important – report on fraud house and scam that in your website and cheat people and customers! – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia
Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia of the "Ana Chuchulashvili" the thief
The worst hotel in the world, it's dangerous, don't go near it! This is not a hotel! It's an old, dirty house, there are cockroaches and insects in the room, Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The manager of the place is a fraud and a former drug addict named "Ana Chuchulashvili" the name of here company is : Ltd Alpaka
405375419
Located at: Nucubidze St N57, Tbilisi, Georgia/Nucubidze Street 57, 0177 it smells terrible, The walls in the room are peeling, I took pictures, there is mold and dampness throughout the room the beds are really uncomfortable, like in a pre-trial detention center, your whole back hurts when you sleep on them and they almost break because they are so thin! the WI FI doesn't work at all, The room was very dirty and filthy, and when you ask her to move you to a room she says everything is taken, even though all the rooms are empty and open! I arrived at this horrible place, this horrible house, at 1:00 AM, after two hours of sleeplessness, I asked for my money back, a blonde girl of about 50 years old named “Anna” told me that she wanted the money in cash right away, otherwise she would not let me out of the hotel, she told me that I would not be able to sleep in their bed, at 3 AM I went to look for an ATM to withdraw money, because I could not find one, after searching for a whole hour, in the Tbilisi cold, I returned to her at midnight to look for an ATM, but she did not give me my suitcase and passport, so I came back the next day and gave me the money in cash, she did not give me an invoice either, do not come near! They are deceiving the public, booking and all hotel websites! This is not a hotel, it is a very dirty, old house and it smells very bad. Search on youtube "never go there – Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City Georgia of Ana Chuchulashvili the house hotel from hell" , don't go " to “Hotel Delisi” on YouTube or "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia " or"HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat" He was caught on tape speaking badly and illegally taking a passport and suitcase.
That she took the suitcase by force, she also stole 3 expensive shirts from me for a total of 250 GEL, I demand compensation of 128 GEL for the two hours of hell I suffered there + 250 GEL for the shirts she stole from me
I have videos where she only wants money in cash so she doesn't pay taxes and doesn't agree that I pay her with a credit card, and she also doesn't want to give me my suitcase and passport.
1. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia
2. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Address
3. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Rooms
4. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Amenities
5. Hotel Delisi – Tbilisi City – Georgia Offers and Deals
სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო, ქურდის „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილის“
მსოფლიოში ყველაზე ცუდი სასტუმრო, საშიშია, ახლოს არ მიხვიდეთ! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის! ეს ძველი, ჭუჭყიანი სახლია, ოთახში ტარაკნები და მწერებია, სასტუმრო დელისი, ქალაქი თბილისი, საქართველო – ადგილის მენეჯერი თაღლითი და ყოფილი ნარკომანია, სახელად „ანა ჭუჭულაშვილი“, კომპანიის სახელია: შპს ალპაკა
405375419
მდებარეობს: ნუცუბიძის ქ. N57, თბილისი, საქართველო/ნუცუბიძის ქუჩა 57, 0177, საშინელი სუნი აქვს, ოთახში კედლები აქერცლილია, სურათები გადავიღე, ოთახში ობი და ნესტია, საწოლები ნამდვილად არაკომფორტულია, როგორც წინასწარი დაკავების იზოლატორში, მთელი ზურგი გტკივა, როცა მათზე იძინებ და კინაღამ იმსხვრევა, რადგან ძალიან თხელია! Wi-Fi საერთოდ არ მუშაობს, ოთახი ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი და უწმაწურია და როცა ოთახში გადაყვანას სთხოვ, მიპასუხებს, რომ ყველაფერი დაკავებულია, მიუხედავად იმისა, რომ ყველა ოთახი ცარიელი და ღიაა! ამ საშინელ ადგილას, ამ საშინელ სახლში, ღამის 1:00 საათზე მივედი, ორსაათიანი უძილობის შემდეგ, ფულის დაბრუნება ვთხოვე, დაახლოებით 50 წლის ქერა გოგონამ, სახელად „ანამ“, მითხრა, რომ ფული ნაღდი ფულით უნდოდა, თორემ სასტუმროდან არ გამიშვებდა, მითხრა, რომ მათ საწოლში ვერ დავიძინებდი, დილის 3 საათზე ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად წავედი ფულის გასატანად, რადგან ვერ ვიპოვე, მთელი საათის ძებნის შემდეგ, თბილისურ სიცივეში, შუაღამისას დავბრუნდი მასთან ბანკომატის მოსაძებნად, მაგრამ ჩემოდანი და პასპორტი არ მომცა, ამიტომ მეორე დღეს დავბრუნდი და ფული ნაღდი ფულით მომცა, ინვოისიც არ მომცა, ახლოს არ მოხვიდეთ! ისინი ატყუებენ საზოგადოებას, დაჯავშნის და ყველა სასტუმროს ვებსაიტს! ეს სასტუმრო არ არის, ეს ძალიან ჭუჭყიანი, ძველი სახლია და ძალიან ცუდი სუნი ასდის. YouTube-ზე მოძებნეთ "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia – The worse hotel in the world" , არ წახვიდეთ "Hotel Delisi"-ში YouTube-ზე ან "Hotel Delisi, Tbilisi City, Georgia" ან "HOTEL DELISI (Tiflis, Gürcistan) – Otel Yorumları ve Fiyat". ის ვიდეოჩანაწერში მოხვდა, სადაც ცუდად საუბრობდა და უკანონოდ იღებდა პასპორტს და ჩემოდანს.
მან ჩემოდანი ძალით წამართვა, ასევე მომპარა 3 ძვირადღირებული პერანგი სულ 250 ლარად, მე ვითხოვ 128 ლარის კომპენსაციას იმ ორსაათიანი ჯოჯოხეთისთვის, რომელიც იქ ვიტანჯე + 250 ლარი იმ პერანგებისთვის, რომლებიც მომპარა.
მე მაქვს ვიდეოები, სადაც ის მხოლოდ ნაღდი ფულით ითხოვს ფულს, ამიტომ არ იხდის გადასახადებს და არ ეთანხმება, რომ საკრედიტო ბარათით გადავუხადო, ასევე არ სურს ჩემოდნის და პასპორტის მოცემა.
"ב-7.10 נחטפה כל המשפחה שלי, אני, בעלי דוד, ושתי בנותינו אמה ויולי, אז בנות 3 בלבד", פתחה את נאומה שרון, אשתו של דוד קוניו החטוף בעזה. "דוד בעלי, אהבת חיי, והאבא של הבנות שלי, עדיין שם. התאומות ואני חזרנו ביום החמישים ושתיים. אמה ויולי שלנו חגגו חמש, בלי אבא שלהן. בשבוע הבא הן ילכו לגן חובה, והן יודעות שאבא לא יהיה איתן ביום הזה. הן יודעות שאבא שלהן שם. לפני כמה ימים, כשהשכבתי אותן לישון הן שאלו אותי 'אמא, את בטוחה שאבא יחזור?'".
"יש הצעה לעיסקה על השולחן, שחמאס כבר אמר לה כן", המשיכה. "האמריקנים רוצים שהחטופים יחזרו. הרמטכ"ל אומר שחייבים ללכת עכשיו לעיסקה. העם, אתם, כל אחד מכם, כאן בככר, במהלך היום בצמתים, בכל מקום, במספרים אדירים, כולם צועקים איתנו, כולם רוצים את החטופים בבית. אז למה אני לא יכולה להגיד לבנות שלי שאני בטוחה שאבא שלהן יחזור?"
