Gallant decries ‘evil’ leaks from closed-door Knesset briefing, insists he’s aligned with Gaza war goals

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant decries “evil” leaks of quotes from “sensitive and confidential forums,” after Hebrew media outlets reported on a closed-door briefing earlier today in the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

During the meeting, Gallant reportedly called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s promises of “absolute victory” in the ongoing war “gibberish” and questioned the premier’s courage to make tough decisions to achieve that aim.

Netanyahu later clapped back, declaring that the defense minister was bound by the promise of “absolute victory,” and charging that his remarks were “anti-Israel” and obstructed talks for a hostage deal.

In his statement, Gallant rejects Netanyahu’s criticism and insists that he is aligned with Israel’s war goals of dismantling Hamas in Gaza and returning the hostages held by the terror group since October 7.

“I’ve served the State of Israel for 48 years, in uniform and in the government. I am determined to continue to carry out my mission while maintaining the priorities that have followed me all my life: the security of the State of Israel, strengthening the IDF and the security organizations, and then everything else,” he insists.

“We are facing challenging days in which we will be required to stand firm and take powerful defensive and offensive actions, our duty is to concentrate on protecting the citizens of Israel and harming our enemy,” he says.

Netanyahu fired Gallant in March 2023, after the defense minister warned about the danger to national security of rifts that he said were extending into the military over the government’s judicial overhaul plans. Thanks to public protests, Gallant was reinstated two weeks later.

Some members of the government have called on Netanyahu to fire Gallant again, criticizing his conduct in the ongoing war, though according to Hebrew media reports, the premier is not considering the move.