This is CBSI on the world.

I'm John Batchel.

I welcome Jonathan Shanzer, Executive Director, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.

At years end, after a tragic year in Gaza, in Lebanon, and Israel, and Syria, We measure what we've learned and look to 26.

Jonathan, a very good evening to you. Let us begin with Ron Givili. The last hostage, according to the

Times of Israel report this morning. What explains the Gaza not surrendering the hostage?

They're holding on to their guns.

Why do they need the hostage?

Good evening, John.

I think there's two possible explanations for this.

And I think both are plausible, but I think we need to go with the most obvious one first,

which is that Hamas does not want to give up the last remaining leverage that it has.

It doesn't have much leverage at all, but holding on to one body as a bargaining chip, if you will,

I think that does explain a lot of the Hamas logic.

There is, of course, the explanation that they cannot find the body,

that we've been dealing with rain and poor weather and flooding,

and that perhaps this might explain some of it,

or that perhaps they don't even know where they buried the man.

These are some of the things that we're hearing out of Gaza right now.

The Israelis are working with the intelligence that they have,

identifying the individuals that they believe once knew where Ron Gbeili was buried.

So they continue to push Hamas.

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