Netanyahu’s Office Under Scrutiny for Alleged Document Leakage [Part II]

In two cases, Netanyahu, also known as Bibi, faces charges of fraud and breach of trust. A third case charges him with “bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.”

Benjamin Netanyahu has to secure the support of his unity cabinet in order to stay in power throughout the crisis. Little other than a complete prevail in Gaza Strip would be enough for hardliners in his cabinet. It indicates that they would oppose a truce and even attempt to continue compel Gaza citizens to evacuate.

Based on reports, the United Kingdom is contemplating of putting sanctions on Smotrich, one of the main hardliners in Israeli cabinet, after his comments included several controversial sentiments about Gaza. It occurred after he suggested that it may be OK to deprive Gaza’s populace if food resources. Ben-Gvir has also mentioned settlement expansion to Gaza when the people there voluntarily departed. Sanctions were already being sought against the latter for calling aggressive West Bank settlers Israel’s “heroes.”

Both Smotrich and Ben-Gvir urged for further military action last month following the murder of Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar. “Now the IDF (Israeli army) must make sure that there is no resident of Gaza who does not know that Sinwar is dead. It must increase intense military pressure in the Strip, and at the same time offer safe passage and financial reward to those who return our hostages to and agree to lay down their arms and leave the Strip,” Smotrich stressed in a post on his social media account.

Hamas declared in September, the same month the documents were manipulated and leaked, that they had plans to agree to American offers made three months earlier. The proposal entailed ending the conflict without introducing fresh conditions.

The United States plan suggested terminating the arms race in three stages. Additionally, it could end in the exchange of prisoners and an extended truce. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir didn’t hesitate to reject the proposal. Unless the Biden deal was rejected, both influential cabinet members pledged to leave their positions in the government and overturn the governing coalition.

Through the approval of nearly every member of his ministerial team, Israeli prime minister proposed keeping authority of the Philadelphia Corridor in late August. The United States plan makes no reference to the Philadelphia Strip, which is located between Gaza and Egyptian lands, as a necessary requirement for a ceasefire agreement.

Israeli prime minister justified this urgency by arguing that Hamas could “easily smuggle hostages out … to the Sinai desert” during two press briefings in early September. The next stop would be either “Iran or Yemen,” According to Netanyahu.

The British “Jewish Chronicle” published an “exclusive” piece on September 5. The report seems to be solely centered on the forged papers; researchers observed. The purported Hamas intention to move detainees and a significant amount of its top brass out of Gaza seemed to be validated by this.

Based on reports, a top Hamas leader who had been captured was questioned to disclose Hamas’s intentions. The British newspaper said the assertion was further bolstered by data gleaned from papers confiscated a week earlier. Since then, the Jewish Chronicle piece was taken down from its official website.