Channel 12 reports that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich held a meeting in recent days aimed at organizing a public campaign to stop the hostage deal in Gaza after the first phase ends, and to resume the war as he has been calling for.
The network says the meeting included bereaved families of Israelis killed in the war, relatives of hostages — apparently those who oppose the deal — and strategists.
A participant says the meeting focused on mobilizing public and international support for resuming combat.
A senior figure who attended the meeting tells Channel 12: “We were invited to an urgent, secret, and unofficial meeting. Its purpose was to formulate a strategy to pressure the public so that we could resume combat immediately after the first phase of the deal concludes.”
In response, Smotrich’s office says he “regularly meets with bereaved families and families of hostages. The content of these personal discussions always remains confidential.”
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
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