From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Report: IDF chief demanded apology from PM for saying army not putting enough pressure on Hamas
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi bristled at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a recent meeting and demanded an apology from the premier after he said there was no progress in hostage talks in recent months because the military was not applying enough pressure on Hamas in Gaza in recent months, Channel 12 reports.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Netanyahu said: “For months there was no progress because the military pressure was not strong enough and I thought that, both for the sake of the hostage deal and for the sake of the victory over Hamas, we must enter Rafah.”
Halevi expressed his ire at Netanyahu, saying “These words are serious, I demand that the prime minister apologize,” Channel 12 reports, adding that so far Netanyahu has not.
The IDF Spokesman’s Office says it does not comment on the content of closed-door meetings.
Official sources at the Prime Minister’s Office say they are not aware of any such expression by Halevi.
