Smotrich criticizes talks for new hostage deal with Hamas

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich hits out at negotiations for another hostage release deal with Hamas, in response to a report that the war cabinet gave permission for Mossad head David Barnea to discuss freeing high-level security prisoners in return for Israeli captives held in Gaza.

“The war cabinet should send the head of the Mossad to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are, and not to talk with them and conduct negotiations,” says Smotrich, who is a member of the security cabinet but not the war cabinet.

The Likud party scolds the finance minister in response, saying it’s “sad” that Smotrich posted comments on “things that have no basis.”

“Prime Minister Netanyahu has already instructed the Mossad to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are, just as he instructed the finance minister to open the taps and ensure that funds gets to citizens, businesses, soldiers and reservists,” it says. The jibe is an apparent reference to criticism by the State Comptroller this week that hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens, especially evacuees from the north and south, were left in dire financial straits by the state’s failure to speedily provide evacuees with economic assistance.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo today to conduct talks with Egyptian officials thought to be focused on a possible truce in the Israel-Hamas war and a deal to release some of the hostages.

A report by Israel Hayom today states that the war cabinet had allowed Barnea to discuss the release of “quality terrorists,” although the assertion was removed when the article was later updated.