(TJV NEWS) The Israeli government is considering a new set of measures aimed at pressuring Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages held in Gaza, according to a Monday report by Channel 12 News. Among the options reportedly under discussion is a mass arrest operation targeting terrorists previously released during past hostage deals.

The proposed plan would involve the re-arrest of dozens of individuals freed in the November 2023 agreement and the subsequent truce that lasted from January through early March 2024. Many of these individuals were relocated to areas such as Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria. If approved, the operation would be carried out as a coordinated effort to detain these individuals simultaneously.

Until now, Israel has resisted such proposals, despite calls from ministers like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to escalate pressure on Hamas through renewed arrests. Resistance from the country’s security establishment had previously stalled the idea, but it is now reportedly gaining renewed attention amid frustrations over the lack of progress in mediated talks.

The hostage negotiations, facilitated by Qatari and Egyptian intermediaries, have been based on a plan originally put forth by former U.S. envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff under the Trump administration. However, since the March 2 lapse of the previous ceasefire, there has been little movement toward a new agreement.

Israel has offered to revive the January 19 agreement framework, under which Hamas would release Israeli hostages in exchange for imprisoned militants and an extension of the ceasefire. Hamas, for its part, has demanded a permanent cessation of the war and a full Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza as conditions for any new deal.

In the interim, Israel has maintained military pressure on Hamas through targeted strikes, a tightened blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, and the expansion of IDF-controlled zones across nearly half of the coastal enclave.

The cabinet is expected to meet on Tuesday to set a deadline for the current round of negotiations with Hamas. If no agreement is reached by that date, the government is likely to greenlight a broader military campaign to seize full control of the Gaza Strip, along with enhanced measures such as the proposed mass arrests.

The idea is being revisited as Israeli officials grow increasingly skeptical of Hamas’s willingness to negotiate and seek stronger leverage to secure the hostages’ release