Galant publicly accuses Netanyahu of obstructing an agreement with Hamas on a ceasefire in Gaza

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of wasting the opportunity to reach an agreement through the new conditions he is demanding to be included in the prisoner exchange agreement and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during a meeting held by the political and security cabinet, Sunday, to discuss the nature of the response to Hezbollah following the Majdal Shams incident.

Channel 13 reported that Galant said during the cabinet meeting that “if we don’t want to allow the crossing to the north (the movement of Gazans from the southern Gaza Strip to the northern Gaza Strip), this is possible, but we will miss the opportunity… We’ve already decided to agree to allow the crossing to the north, and if this doesn’t happen, there will be no agreement”.

During the cabinet session, according to Channel 13, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir asked Galant, “So you don’t have a problem with the militants moving to the northern Gaza Strip?”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pointed out that the deal proposal presented on May 27 didn’t receive approval from any qualified Israeli forum.

In turn, Minister of Science and Technology, Gila Gamliel, said, “I am conveying to you the statements of a family member of one of the prisoners who was killed in captivity, which the family asked me to convey to the cabinet”.

She explained that the prisoner was alive when he was captured, and continued, “He was killed in captivity… We don’t have time; we must work to release them immediately”.

As Transportation Minister Miri Regev said, referring to Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip, “They are dying in captivity… We have to hurry because time is running out”.

Netanyahu insisted that he hadn’t added any new conditions or demands to the proposed deal, saying, “The subject of discussion is Lebanon… We can schedule another discussion on this matter”.

In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu said that Israel hasn’t changed or added any conditions to the proposed plan.

On the contrary, up until this moment Hamas has demanded 29 changes and has not responded to the original proposal.

He added that Israel is committed to its principles according to the original proposal: increasing the number of living hostages to the maximum (referring to the prisoners who might be included in the exchange deal), Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, and preventing the passage of terrorists and weapons into the northern Gaza Strip.