Gallant in US: Israel has ‘no moral right’ to stop Gaza war until all hostages are home; calls UN vote ‘scandalous’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is currently visiting the United States for an official trip, says Israel has “no moral right to stop the war in Gaza until we return all the hostages to their homes.”

The remarks are released by his office ahead of Gallant’s meetings with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and shortly after the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after the US withheld its veto and abstained from the vote.

Gallant calls the UN decision “scandalous.”

“In the first meeting, with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, I will make clear the importance of collapsing the Hamas regime and returning the hostages to their homes. We will act against Hamas everywhere, even in areas where we have not been yet. We will create an alternative to Hamas so that the IDF can complete its mission,” Gallant says.

“We have no moral right to stop the war in Gaza until we return all the hostages to their homes. If we don’t reach a clear and absolute victory in Gaza, it could bring a war in the north closer,” he adds.