Time to negotiate with Hamas on hostage exchange: Israeli general

New Delhi, Jan 22: Israeli Major General Noam Tibon has said that time has come to negotiate with the Hamas group over a possible hostage deal to bring back the Israelis, media reports said.

“It’s time to bring them back otherwise, they will all come back in coffins or not at all,” Noam Tibon told an Israeli public radio station.

“We will have sent for generations to come a message to the citizens of Israel that they live in an insecure state, and a message to mothers who send their children to the army, that if your child falls into captivity, he will probably not return, and this is not overlooked, so it must be concluded. A deal now,” Tibon said.

Earlier, a one week ceasefire from November 24 to December 1 last year was observed between Hamas and Israel in which prisoners were exchanged by both sides.

On October 7, last year, Hamas attacked the southern parts of Israel killing at least 1200 people, taking over 200 people as hostages. Hamas also released 105 Israeli hostages during the one week truce between the conflicting parties.

Israel has killed nearly 25,105 Palestinians since October 7 while injuring 62,681-- mostly infants and women.