The dispute erupted after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected Mossad chief David Barnea’s proposal for an agreement with Hamas.
It has emerged that there is a dispute between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot in the war cabinet set up for Israel’s attacks on Gaza after 7 October.
According to Israeli state television KAN, a heated argument broke out at yesterday’s meeting, with Netanyahu on one side and Gantz and Eisenkot on the other. The report said that during the cabinet meeting, Mossad chief David Barnea proposed expanding the powers of the delegation in charge of negotiating a prisoner swap deal with Hamas.
When Netanyahu rejected Barnea’s proposal, Gantz and Eisenkot objected, and a heated argument broke out between them, the report said.
Gantz and Eisenkot said: “These negotiations have gone on for too long and we must end them now. If we had made an active effort, we could have been in the middle of the negotiations, the negotiations did not progress because we did not take responsibility”.
Netanyahu said: “We are in difficult negotiations. This is complicated. Hamas is not interested in reaching an agreement. We cannot show the enemy any sign of weakness,” and rejected the proposal for an agreement.
Before 7 October, Gantz and Eisenkot, who were in the opposition, were included in the war cabinet formed after that date. Gantz travelled to Washington without Netanyahu’s permission and met with officials there. The fact that the US hosted Gantz despite Netanyahu was seen as a message to Netanyahu, who is known to be at odds with US President Biden and has differences of opinion.
Indirect negotiations in Doha
The Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea travelled to Doha, the capital of Qatar, on 18th March for a new round of negotiations on the release of prisoners in Gaza.
The Israeli press announced that the prisoner exchange negotiations between Hamas and Tel Aviv had officially begun with the arrival of the Israeli delegation led by the head of the Mossad in Doha.
A news report on Israel’s Channel 12 television said the negotiations could last about two weeks. But Netanyahu recalled the Israeli delegation in Qatar after the UN Security Council voted for a ceasefire.
