Captive talks reach impasse as Netanyahu recovers from surgery
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An Israeli security cabinet meeting has been canceled while talks for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza have reached a standstill.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at a court in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine on December 10, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli security cabinet meeting slated for tomorrow night has been canceled, according to aides to two of the ministers involved, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recovers from surgery that he had earlier this week.
Netanyahu underwent prostate removal surgery on Sunday after being diagnosed with a urinary tract infection resulting from a benign prostate enlargement.
His surgery comes at a time when his war on Gaza prevents hundreds of thousands of patients and injured Palestinians from getting life-saving medical treatment.
The decision to cancel the meeting decision comes as efforts to strike a captive release agreement with Hamas come to a standstill.
An Israeli official told Israeli media that there are presently no Israeli teams in Doha or Cairo working on a deal, and there are no plans to deploy any.
For Netanyahu, his govt's survival more important than captives: Gantz
For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the survival of his government is more important than the return of the captives held in Gaza, indicated Benny Gantz, the leader of the Israeli National Unity Party.
“Of the three goals of the war that concern the Gaza Strip, two have not yet been achieved – the collapse of Hamas’s rule and the return of our hostages,” Gantz said at a conference organized by the Calcalist financial daily.
He explained that it is more important for Netanyahu "to survive politically than to allow another civilian government in the Gaza Strip," and therefore the Israeli military "will continue to wallow there for a long time."
Gantz's remarks come shortly after Israeli media reported that Israeli military officials have repeatedly warned Netanyahu that the lack of a "day after" plan for the war on the Gaza Strip will lead to the rehabilitation of Hamas’ authority.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth cited the officials as saying that "to bring down Hamas’ rule, there must be a decision between handing over the reins to the Palestinian Authority or establishing military governance, but Netanyahu rejects both alternatives."
The officials also cautioned that the situation in the Gaza Strip could spill over into the occupied West Bank.
