Benjamin Netanyahu accuses his defense minister of holding an “anti-Israel speech”

According to media reports, Yoav Gallant accused the Israeli Prime Minister of “delaying” a truce agreement in the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded vehemently on Monday, August 12, to his Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, who accused him, according to media reports, of “to delay” a truce agreement in the Gaza Strip.

“When [Yoav] Gallant adopts anti-Israel rhetoric, reduces chances of reaching hostage release agreement,” said the Israeli Prime Minister in a statement from his office. “Israel has only one choice: total victory, which means the elimination of Hamas’ military and governance capabilities and the release of the hostages (…). Everyone is required to do this, Mr. Gallant included.”he added

Following this clarification, Yoav Gallant wrote on X being “determined to achieve the war aims and continue the fight”, while denouncing “the incessant leaks”including his remarks in a context that was intended to be confidential. The Minister of Defense had declared that “the reason why the agreement” for a truce in Gaza “is delayed is, among others, Israel.” “There is an option for an agreement that would lead to an arrangement in the north and the south” of Israel, with the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, “and a second option which is escalation which will lead to war”, he had detailed.

Hamas, for its part, immediately commented on the dispute. One of its leaders, Ezzat al-Rishq, said in a statement that “the confession of [Yoav] Gallant (…) confirms what we have always said”. “[Benyamin] Netanyahu is lying to the world and to the families of the hostages, he doesn’t care about the lives of the hostages and doesn’t want to reach an agreement, all he cares about is that the war continues and spreads,” he accused again.