Netanyahu’s New Terms Jeopardize Cease-fire-Hostage Deal, Say Defense Officials
Senior officials, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief Herzi Halevi, reportedly confronted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening over his insistence on new terms that they fear could derail the ongoing cease-fire-hostage release negotiations with Hamas. According to a Channel 12 news report, Gallant and Halevi accused Netanyahu of knowingly introducing demands that could sabotage the deal.
The updated Israeli proposal reportedly includes demands for an inspection mechanism to prevent combatants from moving to Gaza’s north, the retention of Israeli forces on the Gaza-Egypt border during the deal’s first phase, and a list of all living hostages. These terms were not part of the original Israeli proposal submitted on May 27.
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Gallant allegedly warned Netanyahu that there was no security reason to delay the deal and accused him of making decisions that were counterproductive to securing the hostages’ release. Halevi also cautioned against turning the Philadelphi Corridor into a sticking point, which could hinder the release of 30 hostages in the deal’s first stage.
Netanyahu reportedly responded by accusing his critics of political motives and insisting that Hamas, not he, was introducing new demands. Despite this, Channel 13 reported that the United States had conveyed frustration, accusing Israel of backing off from a deal it had initially proposed.
