From Gallant says Hamas ‘only understands force’; glosses over PM’s third stated goal regarding post-war Gaza
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says he insisted on an additional clause being included in the cabinet decision approved yesterday regarding the hostage deal, which states that once the multi-day truce ended, the IDF will continue its missions of eradicating Hamas and securing the release of all hostages.
He again leaves out the third mission, which only Netanyahu has stressed in recent weeks — that Gaza will not return to being a threat to Israel after the war — in what appears to be a gap between the premier and other war cabinet members.
Whereas Netanyahu has used the third goal for the war to all but reject proposals for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, Gallant and Benny Gantz have only focused on the other two goals of the war — destroying Hamas and returning the hostages. Gantz and Gallant have also promoted steps to boost the PA.
Last week, Gantz said that returning the hostages was the more urgent mission in the short term, whereas Netanyahu has argued that the two missions are on equal footing.
“Hamas only understands force,” Gallant says, calling the terror group “barbarians,” who would only improve the terms of the hostage deal if the military pressure against them increased.
Gallant says he is now feeling a combination of pain and happiness, as he thinks about the 50 hostages slated to be reunited with their families, along with the remaining ones, who will likely have to remain in Gaza for the time being.
Hamas terrorists on October 7 thought they would “tear Israel apart” and “plant the Hamas flag in the center of the Negev.” They thought Israel would “lose its will to exist and to fight. They were wrong. The result will be the tearing apart of Hamas,” Gallant says.
He says the entire security establishment is bound by the obligation to secure the return of all the hostages.
The Times of Israel Community.