Former war cabinet ministers slam PM Netanyahu for ‘constantly delaying hostage deal,’ blast insistence on Israeli presence in Philadelphi
Two former war cabinet members respond to Netanyahu's press conference
The leader of the National Unity party, Benny Gantz, along with his colleague Knesset Member Gadi Eisenkot, blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for insisting on an Israeli presence on the Gaza-Egypt border as a prerequisite for agreeing to a hostage deal.
In response to Prime Minister Netanyahu's rare public defense of his positions at a press briefing on Monday, the two former war cabinet members held their own press conference on Tuesday.
“We came here today to put an end to the dance of lies and intimidation,” Gantz began, criticizing Netanyahu for not telling the public: “The truth: That he will not bring the kidnapped alive. That he will not really protect the southern border, that he will not return the residents of the north to their homes. That he will not deny Iran a nuclear weapon.”
“I was not surprised by this, because during the time we sat in the war cabinet, Netanyahu constantly delayed the ability to move forward with the hostage deals,” Gantz charged.
The former defense minister and IDF chief alleged that Netanyahu hesitated when he and Eisenkot, at the onset of the war, urged the prime minister to exert military pressure on Khan Younis and Rafah.
Both towns were only captured by IDF troops later during the ground operation.
“We stand here in front of you to tell our truth: Control of the Philadelphia axis is important against smuggling and the strengthening [of Hamas]. But Netanyahu knows that observation towers alone would be a duck range for our fighters and don’t stop tunnels.”
Claiming that an underground bulwark is the only solution to secure the Philadelphi Corridor running along the border with Egypt, Gantz added: “Netanyahu is not designing a solution for the Rafah crossing - the place where dual-use materials pass.”
He also reiterated his support for the security establishment's argument that Israel should completely withdraw IDF troops from the corridor to secure a deal to release the hostages, claiming it could always retake the corridor later on.
“I am telling you the truth here, citizens of Israel… Just as we returned to fight when we had to after the previous outline, just like that, we will return to Philadelphi if and when we are required.”
“And if Netanyahu doesn’t understand that after October 7 everything changed, if he has doubts that Sinwar will be eliminated, that we will always get where we need to be, if he is not strong enough to withstand international pressure – let him put down the keys and go home,” Gantz concluded.
"Let's tell the truth: The Philadelphi Corridor is an operational challenge, but it is not the existential threat to the State of Israel - Iran's axis of evil is the existential threat to us... Therefore, we must go to elections that will restore the trust between the people and their elected officials."
Eisenkot, also a former IDF chief, emphasized his trust in the Israeli military's assessment of the situation.
“I trust the IDF for the plans it presented. The problem is in the delegitimization [Netanyahu] is doing to the defense minister and the IDF commanders, which is disturbing.”
Eisenkot also slammed Netanyahu for blaming then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, despite voting for it at the time. Netanyahu eventually resigned from his cabinet position in protest over Sharon’s decision.
“The State of Israel is at its worst low point since its establishment, we have not yet achieved any of the defined war goals,” Eisenkot argued.
“Israel’s strategic situation will not rise and fall on Philadelphi. If we don’t meet the mission of the hostages, it will be a death sentence for them. We see how much they paid with their lives because of the delays.”
The Prime Minister’s Office published a short response to Gantz and Eisenkot's press conference on Tuesday evening.
“The reality speaks for itself. Since Gantz and his party left the Government, Israel eliminated Hamas’s chief-of-staff and Hezbollah’s chief-of-staff, attacked the Houthis, seized the Philadelphi Corridor – the lifeline by which Hamas arms itself – and carried out a pre-emptive strike against Hezbollah, which thwarted its malicious plan and destroyed thousands of rockets aimed at the Galilee.”
“Whoever does not contribute to the victory and the return of the hostages would do well not to interfere,” the PMO statement read.
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud party) hit back in an interview on Wednesday morning, accusing Gantz and Eisenkot of serving the interests of the United States and Hamas.
Their statement “serves the American position and I would not be surprised if the Americans asked them to support this position. In the end, this is a position that helps them and also helps Hamas,” said Chikli.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
