**TEHRAN, Sep. 01** - Gershon Baskin is someone who used to negotiate with others to help Israel. He says it may be possible to end the fighting in Gaza, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not so sure about stopping the war.
A few weeks ago, families of Israelis being held in Gaza asked Mr. Baskin to talk directly with Hamas. They wanted him to try and get their loved ones back.
> "The families asked me to speak with Hamas," Mr. Baskin said.
He says Hamas agreed to a three-week plan. It would free all 107 Israelis. It would also stop the fighting and violence. The Israeli soldiers would leave Gaza. And some Palestinians in Israeli jails would be let out.
> "All of Hamas' leaders accept this plan, but Mr. Netanyahu does not want the war to end," Mr. Baskin said.
Hamas has said any release of Israelis depends on the violence stopping for good and Israel pulling out.
Later, Mr. Baskin made it clear he does not speak for Hamas or Israel in official talks. He urged Israeli leaders to contact Egypt and Qatar to see if Hamas really accepts the deal.
Mr. Baskin does not like how Israel is handling the talks. He thinks continuing the fighting makes it harder to keep the Israelis safe.
> "One of the Israeli negotiators told me Mr. Netanyahu does not want the war to end," he revealed.
He is frustrated with how Mr. Netanyahu is dealing with the situation. He believes Mr. Netanyahu cares more about himself than helping Israel.
> "Most Israelis want a deal to bring back the 101 still in Gaza. Each day the fighting goes on means more could die. We can't take your leadership anymore, Mr. Netanyahu—you're destroying us...We say: Quit your job now! We don't want you in charge!"
The problems started after Hamas groups took about 240 Israelis on October 7. They did this because of how Israel treats Palestinians. The ongoing war has led to almost 40,700 Palestinian casualties, most of whom were women and children.
Past efforts to stop the violence saw some short-term success. In November, 105 Israelis were freed in exchange for Palestinians. But recent proposals were turned down by Israel, making it harder to solve the issues.✨
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