Former IDF Spokesman Claims Hamas Violating Gaza Peace Deal Despite Hostage Release

Hamas "Already Violating" Gaza Peace Deal: Ex-Israeli Defence Spokesman

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces.

Two years after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, Israel experiences a mixture of celebration and caution. The return of all 20 hostages held by Hamas represents "a strategic game changer," according to Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, former international spokesperson of the Israel Defense Forces and current senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). In an extensive interview with NDTV's Aditya Raj Kaul discussing the new Gaza peace plan, Conricus maintains that significant challenges remain ahead and claims Hamas "is already violating the agreement."

"I'm a realist," he stated. "I don't expect Hamas to actually fulfill the agreement." Conricus explains that while the release of living captives eliminates Hamas's primary leverage against Israel, the group has "failed to hand over 28 bodies of murdered Israeli hostages, returning only four," which he describes as an early violation intended to "play games and prolong phase one" by using remains as political leverage. The critical issue now, he indicates, is Israel's response—whether the violation will trigger diplomatic consequences, domestic pressure for retaliation, or possibly resumed military operations.

The former IDF spokesman describes the deal as a sequential, conditions-based process: first, return all hostages—both living and deceased; second, disarm Hamas; third, compel the group to abandon its governance of Gaza; and fourth, establish an interim international administration. "Stage four cannot happen before stage two," he warns, arguing that no country will deploy a stabilization force to "stare down Hamas" before the group disarms. "There's very little appetite for casualties," he observes, adding that he hasn't seen any nation preparing troops for such a mission.

If the ceasefire collapses, Conricus believes battlefield dynamics would significantly change without Israeli hostages in Hamas's tunnel network. "Those tunnels will become death traps," he states, asserting that Israel would be able to employ "totally different tactics" if combat operations resume.

He also expresses concern regarding prisoner releases included in the agreement. While Israel refused to free "the worst terrorist leaders," Conricus notes that approximately 250 convicted militants with multiple life sentences have been released, warning that Hamas will attempt to regenerate its forces not only in Gaza but also in foreign safe havens. This risk, he argues, highlights a broader lesson: unless governments implement legislative, legal, diplomatic, and military measures that make hostage-taking "unprofitable," other terrorist groups will attempt to replicate "the October 7 playbook."

Conricus remains skeptical about certain regional actors' roles in the peace framework, claiming that countries like Qatar and Turkey are "active supporters of Hamas." When questioned about Pakistan's involvement in an Islamic coalition supporting the agreement, he connects Hamas leaders' communications with banned groups to what he terms a "utilitarian" approach to negotiations. Nevertheless, he acknowledges the initiative's unconventional diplomacy: "It has delivered results where other types have not" and says it deserves "the benefit of the doubt" if the sequencing is enforced.

Regarding India, he envisions an expanding strategic relationship with Israel extending beyond counter-terrorism to agriculture, medical technology, and industry. Commending India's peacekeepers and a "braver stand" in recent years, he suggests shared democratic values and common threats create "great room to grow" the partnership.

Peace or return to conflict? Conricus doesn't claim to know. However, he remains definitive on one point: with the hostages returned and Hamas's leverage diminished, future developments will depend on whether the agreement's initial commitments are implemented promptly and completely.