ALBANY – It was less than two months ago, in the immediate aftermath of October 7th, when the Jewish Federation of North America sent a contingent to the Middle East to bear witness to the atrocities that had occurred there.

Albany Attorney Hank Greenberg was part of that mission. He has continued to monitor developments in the war and potential peace very closely.

“I presume this is the best arrangement under these awful circumstances that could be worked out,” Greenberg said, referring to the release of 24 hostages on Friday that had been held by Hamas since the beginning of the war.

Greenberg said he was pleased to see that 24 hostages had been returned to their families, but displeased that no American hostages had been freed, and equally angry that more than 200 others remain in captivity.

“Clearly, these people are not just being used as human shields but as pawns,” He asserted, “This is a nightmarish gambit on the part of Hamas to try to achieve some military strategic objective.”

In other words, Greenberg believes it would be a mistake for anyone to think Hamas is releasing hostages for humanitarian purposes.

“Israel values human life,” he reiterates, “These hostages should never, never lost their liberty on October 7th, so Israel is doing everything in its power to return them to their families.”

Greenberg says everyone needs to see this for what it is, a “cynical gambit designed to give (Hamas) time to rearm and repurpose their military.”

If Hamas is gaining an advantage by the temporary halt in fighting, Greenberg says the Israeli government is aware of it, which is why the Israeli Defense Minister has vowed to “fight forcefully” after the four day truce.

“Hamas has made that clear over and over again that their interest is not peace but the destruction of Israel and everyone who lives in it. I think the world needs to be clear-sighted about what’s happening here and understand that’s why Israel has no alternative but to prosecute this war.”

Greenberg also points out, the mastermind of October 7th was previously held by the Israeli government which was forced to release him as part of a past prisoner swap. He says it makes you wonder what might be on the minds of the Palestinians being released during the current hostage exchange process.