Israeli Prime Minister and his defense minister exchanged jabs over the strategy in Gaza and over Hamas annihilation. The confrontation highlights the profound internal divisions that still afflict the Israeli administration.
The battle in Gaza has the potential of escalating into a larger regional confrontation. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reportedly called Benjamin Netanyahu’s military goal of a complete win over the Islamist organization Hamas in Gaza as “nonsense” according to the Israeli sources.
Netanyahu responded by scolding Gallant in an official statement. “When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage deal,” explained his office in a statement. The statement said that Israel’s military goal continues to be a “total victory,” with the removal of Hamas and liberation of the final captives taken by fighters commanded by Hamas.
According to the PM office, this is the explicit mandate from Defense Cabinet Chairman and Prime Minister Netanyahu, and it is required of all parties and figures, including Gallant.
The debate took place while Israel was getting ready for a potential invasion by Tehran and the Hezbollah militia. It happens after hostilities flared up sharply on July 27, when a missile attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights claimed the lives of twelve people.
Israel murdered a top Hezbollah leader in Beirut following the strike. Ismail Haniyeh, then the political head of Hamas, was assassinated in Iranian capital hours later, prompting threats of revenge from Tehran.
The most recent instance of internal conflict that has continued since the administration assumed power in 2022 represented itself in form of a public censure of the defense minister. Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-right extremist factions in the alliance have frequently struggled with Gallant during the last two years. Due to Gallant’s objection to measures to reduce the authority of the high court, Netanyahu attempted to fire Gallant last year. But in the wake of widespread demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of Israeli people, he was forced to change his direction.
The most recent conversation takes place ahead of a desperate attempt to resurrect negotiations to end the violence in Gaza that were mediated by Qatar and Egypt. The accord is necessary in order to free the 115 Israeli and international captives who are now confined in Gaza Strip.
Declaring that it would not be sending a delegation to the conference, Hamas has accused Israeli prime minister of being disinterested in really trying to negotiate a compromise.
