This is CBS I on the world with John Bachelor.

Here's John Batchelor.

I welcome Bill Rajov, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy's

and our colleague of FEDD and the Jerusalem Post, Seth Fransman.

We go immediately to headlines between Europe, the United States, Israel, and the rest of the world

about the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, conversation between the participants and other voices in Europe looking to make an exchange

hostages for a ceasefire for X number of months. Seth, very good evening to you. Thank you very much.

This is totally confusing. I've read two months, I've read four months, I've read

the US agrees, I've read Israel agrees, I've read the US agrees I've read Israel agrees I've read Hamas we're still talking

the conversation is constructive lost I'm lost Seth where do we know right now good

evening to you.

Good evening. Well I don't we don't know what we don't know. I think that there's a

lot that's a mystery here. I mean, first of all, the first hostage deal was agreed to in mid-November.

It started November 24th, and it went to December 1st. I think it was for around 50 hostages and then there was going to be more and more

releases over time so the actual overall number was like 105. Now another two months of war and Hamas seems to be asking for more time for the

ceasefire for less hostages so if I was a dealmaker it doesn't make a lot of

sense to me.

But obviously, in the end of the day, you know, Israel's interest is to get back living

hostages because there is a concern of the 130 or so that are still held there.

I think the belief is you know

twenty twenty five of them are not no longer alive so it's a it's a big dilemma for

Israel is real wants the women back, it wants the hostages back, but if you give

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