Milshtein, who visited the section of Ramla Prison where some of these terrorists are held, said they remain unrepentant. “I spoke with them,” he told Fox News Digital. “They are fanatical—completely committed. They show no remorse. The only thing they regret is not having killed more people.”

Hamas terrorists killed civilians, including women, children and the elderly, when they attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.  (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

He described the Nukhba detainees as the most ideologically extreme and operationally capable among Hamas’ ranks. “They are like a special-forces division with a radical worldview,” he said. “Releasing them would be like setting loose the people who planned and executed the worst day in Israel’s history.”

Despite the risks, Milshtein acknowledged that Israel may have no alternative. “It’s a terrible dilemma,” he said. “But strategically, this may be one of those bitter compromises Israel will have to make to bring its citizens home.”