The far-right Minister of National Security of Israel, Ben Gvir, has warned that a possible agreement with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to release hostages taken during attacks on October could lead to disaster. He expressed his concern about a pact that could involve the release of Palestinian prisoners and facilitate the entry of fuel into the Gaza Strip, an issue he has opposed due to its connection to Hamas’ arming. Meanwhile, the mother of two minors kidnapped by Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip called on Monday for the opportunity to move forward with an agreement to bring them back home.

Relatives of nearly 240 kidnapped people have also warned that a bill presented by Ben Gvir to apply the death penalty for people convicted of terrorism puts hostages in serious danger. The Hostage Families Forum stated that such discussions should be debated in private and professional forums without endangering loved ones or promoting public interest. On Saturday, Ben Gvir announced that he would present this draft bill to the Knesset during a sitting on Saturday. In January, he openly supported including the death penalty in legislation for people convicted of terrorism.

The attacks carried out by Hamas left nearly 1,200 dead and more than 240 kidnapped in Israel. Authorities in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, reported over 13,300 deaths from Israeli bombings while more than 200 Palestinians died at the hands of Israeli forces or settler attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. These incidents highlight the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine and have led to significant loss of life and human rights violations on both sides.