Ben-Gvir slams hostage deals with Hamas amid terrorist recidivism

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir lashed out on Friday at Israel’s concessions to Hamas as a “capitulation” to terrorism, citing data on recently freed Palestinian prisoners who resumed attacks.

“About half of those released in the first deal have already returned to terrorism,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X, referring to Israel’s hostage-prisoner exchange agreement with Gaza’s ruling Islamic terrorists in November 2023, when 240 terrorists were freed.

“Just yesterday, three [Israel Defense Forces] fighters were injured. Two of them are in serious condition, sedated and on ventilators,” he continued.

“How many times did I warn against this deal? I was the only one who voted against it. My colleagues in the right-wing government, when will you understand that surrendering to terror only brings more and more terror?!”

About 50% of the Palestinian terrorists released to Judea and Samaria as part of the first hostages exchange deal have resumed to terrorist activities, Ynet News reported on Friday, citing data released by the IDF Central Command.

These numbers correlate with Central Command statistics of the 2011 Gilad Shalit-prisoners swap deal, in which 82% of the 1,027 Palestinian terrorists and detainees released returned to terrorist activity.

It remains to be seen how many will return to terrorism from the latest swap deal with Hamas, in which 408 terrorists were freed to Judea and Samaria in several rounds of releases since January until the end of February.

“They’re under tight surveillance, and we interrogated and warned them before their release,” Ynet cited a top military official as saying.

“Zakaria Zubeidi, for example—the militant most associated with Jenin—is now busy with political meetings in Ramallah. He doesn’t come here anymore. And he knows that if he returns to terrorism, it’ll be at his peril,” the unnamed source added.

“Any terrorist who returns to terrorism will be killed,” Judea and Samaria Division commander Brig. Gen. Yaki Dolf said on Wednesday.

Dolf went on to say that during the IDF’s “Operation Iron Wall,” which began on Jan. 21, largely in northern Samaria, the Israeli military has gained total freedom of operation “anywhere, anytime—even in the heart of the refugee camps.”

According to Ynet, IDF commanders stationed at the Jenin camp said that it was cleared of hostile forces two months ago. They assess that around a few dozen fugitives from the camp “remain on the run,” with the soldiers feeling “at ease” at the site.

In total, 102 terrorists were killed, 320 were arrested and 14 strikes were conducted by the Israeli Air Force in northern Samaria, according to IDF figures.

In addition, around 200 structures were demolished and some 3,000 residents displaced, the report added.

Troops from the Kfir Infantry Brigade’s 90th Nachshon Battalion who spent four months in the Jenin area are now preparing for redeployment in the Gaza Strip, according to Ynet.