Netanyahu, Gantz exchange accusations over captive negotiations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
22 Dec 2024 22:51

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, exchange accusations over sabotaging captive negotiations.

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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz attend a news conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, occupied Palestine, on October 28, 2023. (AP)

After being accused of "sabotaging negotiations at this sensitive time," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office responded to comments made by Benny Gantz, leader of the Israeli occupation's National Unity party.

Netanyahu’s office described Gantz, a former war cabinet member, as "submissive", reminding him that he had called for halting the war even before entering Rafah. The statement also pointed out that Gantz should not lecture the prime minister on the necessity of eradicating Hamas and the sacred mission of bringing back captives.

Netanyahu’s office further claimed, "It’s no coincidence that since Gantz left the government for internal political reasons, Netanyahu has achieved several accomplishments, including directly targeting Iran." The statement concluded, "Those who do not contribute to the national effort should at least not harm it."

In response, Gantz’s office fired back at Netanyahu's latest comments, saying, "Netanyahu, stop being a submissive coward. You feared breaking up the coalition, and only Gantz's insistence has brought back over 100 hostages so far." The statement continued, "You were too scared to even launch a maneuver in Gaza, but Gantz was the one who pushed for its execution."

Gantz's office also criticized Netanyahu for hesitating in September to carry out an operation in the north to bring residents back to their homes, saying, "But you did it when Gantz pressured you, and you know very well that had you not been forced into it, you would have never taken that step."

The statement concluded by holding Netanyahu responsible for the failure to reach a deal on the release of hostages, accusing him of fearing coalition collapse. "We won’t allow you to do that again when a real deal is on the table," the office said.

'Israel's Herzi Halevi expected to resign by February, reports say

Additionally, on the saga of Israeli internal conflicts, Herzi Halevi, Chief of General Staff of the Israeli occupation forces, is expected to step down by the end of February, Anadolu Agency reported on Friday,

Israeli website Maariv cited an anonymous Israeli official as saying that Halevi is estimated to "retire from his position at the end of February, one month after the investigations into the events of 7 October 2023 are concluded."

On Thursday, Security Minister Israel Katz said investigations into the events of October 7, 2023, must be concluded by the end of January. Katz instructed the Chief of Staff that no new generals would be appointed until the findings were presented.

In light of Katz's decision, Maariv came to the conclusion that this deadline might hasten Halevi's resignation.

According to recent negotiations among "Israel's" military and political officials, Zamir, the current director-general of the Security Ministry, is the most probable candidate to succeed Halevi.

However, both the Ministry of Security and the Israeli military rejected the allegation, stating that there is no such agreement between the chief of staff and the security minister over Halevi's resignation.

Resignation after the fighting ends?

Last month, Halevi hinted at stepping down after the inquiry into the military's inability to respond to Operation al-Aqsa Flood was concluded.

Halevi stated that unlike in the past, the Israeli army opted to undertake rigorous debriefing sessions on October 7 while the war was ongoing. Usually, such probes are only undertaken after battles end.

While Halevi did not specify a clear date for the investigation's conclusion, the attention has shifted to the military's preparation and response with numerous Israeli military, security, and political authorities taking personal responsibility for the inability to prevent the attack.

Netanyahu has continuously refused to take personal responsibility for the incident, advocating instead for the creation of a private inquiry committee to prevent the formation of an official state commission of inquiry, according to Israel Hayom.

Earlier in November, Israel Hayom quoted senior officials from the Israeli military as saying that there has been a significant delay in presenting the findings of the investigations into the events of October 7, 2023.

They emphasized that this delay persists although many of the investigations are already completed and have been submitted to lower-level officials, with some ready to be presented to the Israeli chief of staff.