Netanyahu blasts ‘serial leakers’ as reports emerge of sharp disagreements with negotiators over Philadelphi withdrawal

After reports emerge of a tense meeting earlier today between the negotiating team and Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s Office puts out a statement blasting “serial leakers.”

“They claimed in recent months that Hamas would never agree to give up the end of the war as a condition of the deal,” says Netanyahu’s office, “and recommended giving in to Hamas’s demand.”

Netanyahu’s office says that “they were wrong then – they are wrong today.”

The statement stresses that Netanyahu continues to insist that the IDF remain on the Philadelphi Corridor between Egypt and Gaza.

Israel’s negotiators told Netanyahu this morning that “without flexibility on Philadelphi, there will be no deal and the hostages will not return,” according to Channel 12.

“The Prime Minister will continue to work to promote a deal that will maximize the number of abductees alive and that will enable the achievement of all the war’s goals,” stresses the PMO.

Channel 13 reports that the negotiating team pushed Netanyahu to show more flexibility in talks to keep them from falling apart without any clear idea of when they would be able to restart in the future.

Meanwhile, Kan news reports that in the “extremely contentious” meeting this morning the negotiators told Netanyahu that the mandate they had been given was too narrow, and that it must be expanded for today’s talks in Cairo.

Kan also reports that Netanyahu told ministers today chances for deal are “not high.”