From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Official says security cabinet backs Trump’s call for hostages to be released by Saturday, and his vision for post-war Gaza
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The security cabinet unanimously backs US President Donald Trump’s call for Israeli hostages to be released from Gaza by Saturday, an Israeli official says.
Ministers also back Trump’s “revolutionary vision” for the future of Gaza, that would see Palestinians resettled and the US assume control of the rebuilding effort in the enclave post-war.
The carefully worded Hebrew comments from the Israeli official seem to stop short of a complete endorsement of all of Trump’s positions, and notably does not refer to “all” hostages.
“All cabinet members expressed support for US President Donald Trump’s demand for the release of our hostages by noon on Shabbat, and for his revolutionary vision for the future of Gaza,” the key sentence specifies.
The security cabinet meeting, called to discuss Israel’s response to the Hamas announcement that it would freeze future hostage releases until further notice, stretched for four hours. The official describes the Hamas announcement as “the decision by the Hamas terror group to breach the deal.”
The meeting was “thorough and in-depth,” according to the Israeli official.
Last night, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to reinforce positions in the Gaza Strip and on its borders, and to prepare for “all scenarios” if Hamas fails to release hostages on Saturday.
Before the cabinet meeting, says the official, Netanyahu held smaller discussions with his advisers.
