Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in New York on Monday that securing the release of hostages in Gaza must take precedence over resuming military operations against Hamas. Interviewed by CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga at the Anti-Defamation League’s Never Is Now conference, Gallant also called for an independent commission of inquiry into Israel’s failures leading up to the October 7 attack.
Gallant, who served as defense minister during the Hamas-led assault, said he has spent extensive time speaking with released hostages. “The most important thing for them is to bring back their friends,” he said. He warned that if Israel restarts its military campaign before ensuring the hostages’ release, “you won’t have hostages” left to save.
Gallant emphasized that Israel’s battle against Hamas is far from over, saying a “bitter truth” is that “even if we don’t want to fight Hamas, we will fight them for a long period of time.” He cited the ongoing conflict in the West Bank, noting that Israel is still battling fighters in Jenin, Hebron, and Ramallah more than 20 years after the 2002 Operation Defensive Shield. “First of all, bring the hostages and then go and accomplish the job and Hamas will give us enough reason to do that,” he added.
His comments come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled preparations for an expanded military operation in Gaza if Hamas does not agree to a hostage release deal. The war, which began after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, has left much of Gaza devastated and resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.
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Gallant also renewed his call for a national commission of inquiry into Israel’s failures before and during the October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and saw Hamas take more than 250 hostages into Gaza. “The most important thing is how to avoid any phenomena similar to what happened on October 7 in the future,” he said. “In order to do it, you have to learn the lessons, and in order to learn the lessons, you have to rebrief the Israeli actions.”
Addressing Gallant’s role in the security failures, interviewer Golodryga noted that based on the former defense minister’s statements to the media, “You have not absolved yourself of any responsibility.” Gallant described his frustration at not being woken on the night of the attack, stating that Israeli intelligence did not consider Hamas’ activities a serious threat. “They didn’t recruit more battalions. They didn’t bring more forces from other fronts. They even didn’t bring all the commanders, unfortunately.”
He stressed that the Israeli public deserves full transparency. “The only way is this committee that should be a national committee, and I am the first one that is willing to step into the room and to give answers,” he said.
Gallant also dismissed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him and Netanyahu for alleged war crimes, calling it “another form of institutionalized antisemitism.” The ICC’s decision, which accused Israeli leaders of failing to prevent crimes in Gaza, was condemned by the Biden and Trump administrations. Gallant said he was proud to be criticized for defending Israel, stating, “I’m proud to be criticized by the ICC and others for defending the State of Israel, the Jewish people, our kids, and our women.”
Speaking about rising antisemitism worldwide, Gallant recounted a private conversation with a senior American official who urged Israel to change its behavior due to pro-Hamas sentiment on US university campuses. “I told him, ‘With all the respect, if your kids support Hamas, who is going to kill Israeli innocent kids and women, and they boycott Israel for protecting them, you have a problem in your education,” Gallant said.
He also sent a message to Jews worldwide, saying, “No matter where you live, your home is Israel. Whatever happened, you have a safe place to stay.”