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Ex-Defense Minister Gallant Blames Leak for Failed Hostage Deal
Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Monday that a deliberate leak of sensitive negotiation details by an entity interested in derailing the talks caused the collapse of a hostage agreement. Speaking at the International Counter-Terrorism Conference at Reichman University, Gallant explained that the leak revealed Israel's confidential bottom line to the terrorist organization Hamas, which then increased its demands and broke the negotiations.
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What happened
- 01Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant blamed a deliberate leak by an interested party for the collapse of hostage negotiations.
- 02The leak revealed Israel's confidential minimum threshold of 18 hostages, allowing Hamas to raise its demands to 33.
- 03The proposed agreement was supported by the heads of the IDF, Shin Bet, Mossad, and most of the War Cabinet.
- 04Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially opposed the deal but allowed it to proceed due to public pressure.
- 05Gallant stated that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich disclosed the confidential minimum threshold to the cabinet after meeting with Netanyahu.
- 06The failed proposal involved security concessions, including a potential withdrawal from the Netzarim corridor.
According to Gallant, the proposed deal had the unanimous backing of the security establishment, including the Chief of Staff, the head of the Shin Bet, and the head of the Mossad. It also had a rare consensus among War Cabinet members Benny Gantz, Ron Dermer, Gadi Eisenkot, Aryeh Deri, and Gallant himself. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially opposed the proposal but eventually authorized it to proceed, largely due to public pressure.
Gallant revealed that the confidential mandate agreed upon by Netanyahu, Gantz, and himself aimed to secure the release of 33 living hostages, with a minimum threshold of 18 hostages to trigger the deal. After the leak, which Gallant indicated involved Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich disclosing the minimum threshold to the cabinet, Hamas understood Israel's red line and demanded 33 hostages, leading to the collapse of the talks.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: Maariv. Read Maariv’s originalThe coverage
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