Should Israel Ransom Hostages? (Updated)

When we first released an episode on captured soldiers, back in August 2023, we had no idea that we were mere months away from the worst hostage crisis Israel had ever experienced. 
On October 7, 2023, Hamas murdered 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and dragged another 240 to Gaza, plunging Israel into a nightmare. Hamas did not discriminate. They took babies as young as 9 months, elderly people well into their 80s, and everyone in between.
Some of those 240 hostages have been rescued or released. Some were murdered in captivity. Three were killed mistakenly by “friendly fire.” But as of December 2023, 129 remain in Gaza, their fates and welfare unknown. And the questions we raised back in August remain more relevant than ever. 
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Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tO4xtCQdNDbcO3THe1elsiNrvREOuG6FjD3gcq5hDnA/edit?usp=sharing