Israel said to refuse further truce talks until it receives living hostages' names

[EarlG]

5. Hamas took hostages for leverage

When you take a hostage, you’re saying, “Give me what I want, or I will harm this person.” By taking hostages, that is Hamas’s negotiating position.

But if you can’t prove you’re actually holding hostages, then where’s the leverage? Really, you’re just bluffing. And worse, your refusal to prove that you’re holding hostages — when you could easily provide that proof — telegraphs that you are bluffing.

If I told you that I had the Hope Diamond in my pocket but I can’t take it out to show you right now, I think you would naturally assume that I was full of shit. It would be on me to prove my assertion.

So where’s the negotiation? Hamas is hoping that the bluff is enough to keep the IDF at bay, but without evidence that the hostages are alive, why should the Israeli government not assume that they’re all dead already and continue to press their assault?

My point is that if you want to negotiate by holding hostages, proving that you’re actually holding those hostages ought to be job one. I’m not sure how Hamas failing to do that is the other side’s fault.

Edited to add: Of course, if the hostages ARE all dead, then Hamas isn’t going to just come out and say that, because then they will have shown their hand and given up all their leverage. That’s why attempting to negotiate this is extremely difficult.