Netanyahu ‘is doing everything to avoid a deal’
Some in Israel’s political establishment have accused Netanyahu of trying to sabotage Gaza ceasefire negotiations by publishing a list of non-negotiable conditions even before a cabinet meeting was scheduled to convene to discuss the matter.
One of his demands said Israeli troops must be allowed to return to Gaza “and fight until all war’s objectives are achieved”.
“What is it good for? We are at a critical moment in the negotiations, the lives of the abductees depend on it, why issue such provocative messages? How does it contribute to the process?” opposition leader Yair Lapid said on X.
“It is quite clear that the prime minister is doing everything in his power to avoid a deal,” Israel Ziv, former head of the Israeli army’s operations, told the Maariv newspaper. “Whoever wants a deal does not publish his terms in the media, adds new conditions and publishes them,” he added.
Critics have long accused Netanyahu of trying to extend the conflict for his political survival.
Israel has not learned any lessons from October 7: Lieberman
Israeli MP Avigdor Lieberman, who earlier served as deputy prime minister and finance minister, has reportedly said the country’s system is stuck on October 6.
Israeli Army Radio quoted him as saying he trusted only the Defense Ministry team in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations and demanded the removal of David Barnea, head of the Mossad intelligence service, from the case.
“We have to use all the possibilities available to us because we have exhausted our deterrence to zero,” Lieberman said, referring to the release of Israeli captives from Gaza through the ceasefire talks.
Israel must continue Gaza war ‘until victory’: Smotrich
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel must continue fighting until victory, a likely hint to the prime minister to refuse any ceasefire deal as negotiations with Hamas have regained momentum this week.
“Hamas is collapsing and begging for a ceasefire. This is the time to squeeze the neck until we crush and break the enemy,” Smotrich said on X.
“To stop now, just before the end, and let them recover to fight us again is a senseless folly that will take the achievements of the war bought with much blood down the drain. We must continue until victory!” he added.
Ceasefire deal would be ‘humiliation’ for Israel: Far-right minister
During a session of his party’s bloc in the Knesset, far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said any deal with Hamas would be a “defeat and humiliation” for Israel.
“We will not be part of a deal to surrender to Hamas. This deal is a defeat and humiliation for Israel and a victory for [Yahya] Sinwar,” the minister said, referring to the leader of Hamas in Gaza.
“It will sentence to death 90 abductees who are not part of the deal and will result in thousands of murdered people who will die in the next massacre,” he added.
Israeli police remove captive’s brother from Knesset
Family members of captives held in Gaza have entered the Israeli parliament to increase pressure on the government to reach a ceasefire agreement.
A video on Israeli media shows six security members forcefully removing Dani Elgarat, brother of Itzik Elgarat, a captive in Gaza, from a session of the Knesset Law and Constitution Committee.
