JERUSALEM

A former head of Israel’s Mossad spy service has accused the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prioritizing revenge over the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Tamir Pardo, who served as director of the Mossad between 2011 and 2016, said the government should have accepted Hamas’ offer for a prisoner swap on Oct. 8, 2023.

"Israel, however, chose revenge. It knew that the hostages could not all be freed through a military offensive,” he added in an interview with Israeli news outlet Srugim on Sunday.

Pardo said the Israeli government realizes that some hostages could be killed in its ongoing airstrikes in Gaza.

“However, the government was not bothered. It rather launched a campaign to convince the public of false narrative as an absolute victory,” he added.

“Instead of pursuing revenge, the government should have reached a deal to secure the hostages' release first and then pursued military objectives,” he said.

Indirect cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations between Tel Aviv and Hamas have reached a critical stage, as Netanyahu remains committed to continuing the war in Gaza and controlling key corridors in the south and center of the strip, such as the Philadelphi and Netzarim Corridors. Hamas, on the other hand, demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the return of displaced people without restrictions.

Israel currently holds at least 9,500 Palestinian prisoners in its jails, while it is estimated that 101 Israelis are being held in Gaza. Hamas said that dozens of hostages have been killed in Israeli airstrikes.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

Nearly 41,400 people, mostly women and children, have since been killed and more than 95,700 injured, according to local health authorities.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi