Ex-Harris Advisor Accuses Netanyahu of Derailing Hostage Deal in 2024
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
Former U.S. Vice President advisor Phil Gordon accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of derailing a hostage deal in summer 2024 by introducing new conditions after Hamas dropped its demand for a permanent ceasefire. Gordon's claims align with those of Avi Gil, Netanyahu's former military secretary, who stated the prime minister feared coalition collapse. The Likud party denied the accusations, calling them a political campaign. The deal was eventually finalized in January 2025 without Netanyahu's initial conditions.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former U.S. advisor Phil Gordon accused PM Netanyahu of blocking a 2024 hostage deal.
- Netanyahu reportedly added new conditions, including border control and filtration, to the deal.
- These conditions stalled negotiations for six months, leading to more casualties and hostage deaths.
- Avi Gil, ex-military secretary, previously claimed Netanyahu feared coalition collapse.
- The Likud party denied the accusations, calling them a political campaign against Netanyahu.
- The final hostage deal was reached in January 2025, omitting Netanyahu's initial demands.
Former U.S. Vice President advisor Phil Gordon has sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stance on ceasefire negotiations during the summer of 2024. Gordon corroborated earlier testimony from Avi Gil, the prime minister's former military secretary, stating that Israeli leadership missed a genuine opportunity to secure the release of hostages.
According to The Times of Israel, Gordon revealed that in early July 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden urged Netanyahu to accept a deal after Hamas dropped its demand for an immediate, permanent ceasefire. However, Netanyahu introduced new conditions, reportedly against the advice of his own security chiefs. These new demands included the permanent presence of the Israeli army along the Gaza-Egypt border and a filtration system for Palestinians returning to northern Gaza.
Gordon believes these additional demands stalled the diplomatic process for six months. During this period, fighting continued, resulting in thousands of casualties and the deaths of hostages, including six killed by militants in August 2024. Notably, both contentious conditions were later removed from the final agreement reached in January 2025.
Avi Gil had previously stated on Channel 12 that Netanyahu feared the collapse of his governing coalition and yielded to pressure from far-right partners who opposed any deal with "terrorists." The Likud party has vehemently denied these accusations, characterizing the statements from former officials as a biased political campaign against the prime minister.
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