Gantz says Israel committed to securing hostage deal, calls for war cabinet to meet ASAP

War cabinet minister Benny Gantz calls for the war cabinet to convene as soon as possible, in light of US President Joe Biden’s speech yesterday announcing a hostage deal proposal which he said came from Israel.

“The United States has proven over time consistently, exactly like it has since the war’s beginning under the leadership of President Biden, its commitment to Israel’s security and the efforts to return the hostages. We are deeply grateful to the president and all our American friends for their support,” Gantz says in a statement from his office.

“The State of Israel stands united in our wish to return the hostages, it is a superior moral obligation that does not diminish our commitment to achieve the war’s objectives based on the six principles I outlined in my speech,” he continues.

Stressing that Israel is “committed to continue advancing an arrangement to return the hostages as formulated by the negotiation team and approved by the war cabinet unanimously, as part of the wider effort to achieve all of the war’s objectives,” Gantz says the war cabinet “must be convened as soon as possible together with the negotiating team to formulate the next steps.”