Otzma Yehudit Party Pushes Back on Hostage Deal: "One-for-One Only"
Right-wing party aims to limit prisoner swaps as second phase of Hamas deal looms.


In a bold move against the ongoing hostage negotiations, Otzma Yehudit's MK Zvika Fogel introduced a bill today that would dramatically reshape how Israel handles future hostage deals. The key point is a strict "one terrorist for one hostage" policy, marking a significant departure from previous exchange ratios that often saw dozens or even hundreds of prisoners released for each Israeli hostage.
Walla News learned that the proposed legislation would set firm boundaries for negotiating with terror groups. Under the new rules, Israel couldn't release more living prisoners than the number of hostages being freed, and trading live prisoners for bodies would be off the table completely. Hamas and other terror organizations would only be able to pick released prisoners from a pre-approved government list, giving Israeli authorities greater control over which prisoners could potentially be released.
While this isn't the first time such ideas have been floated - similar proposals have come from across the political spectrum, including Yair Lapid on the left and Gila Gamliel on the right - the timing is significant. The bill, though unlikely to pass in the current Knesset, sends a clear message: Otzma Yehudit wants Israel to resume fighting once the current 42-day pause in Gaza ends.
There's some flexibility built into the bill: the government could release up to 10 extra prisoners before a hostage deal if they think it'll help negotiations. But there's also a punitive measure: any prisoners linked to the kidnapping group would see their conditions reduced to international minimum standards within 72 hours of a kidnapping.
"Let's be clear - this is about stopping phase two of this reckless deal," Fogel told Walla in a candid interview. His solution is to "cut off humanitarian aid, fuel, and electricity to Gaza immediately. That's how you get hostages released."
The move comes as Otzma Yehudit MKs, including Itamar Ben-Gvir, Yitzhak Waserlauf, and Amichai Eliyahu, quit their government posts this week in protest over the Hamas deal. While the party's MKs have also stepped down from their coalition roles, Ben-Gvir left the door open: if Israel restarts the war after phase one, he might just come back to the cabinet table. The resignations represent the most significant coalition crisis since the formation of the emergency government following October 7.