‘There are people alive there!’: Gallant tells cabinet they are abandoning hostages, in fresh leaked quotes from cabinet meeting

Channel 12 news reports more leaked quotes from last night’s cabinet meeting, when Defense Minister Yoav Gallant fumed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bringing a vote to approve a series of maps drawn up by the IDF, which show how Israel plans to keep its troops deployed in the nine-mile narrow stretch known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

According to the leaked quotes, Netanyahu announced he wanted to bring the decision on remaining on the Philadelphi Corridor for a vote, to which Gallant questioned why it is relevant.

“The significance of this is that Hamas won’t agree to it, so there won’t be an agreement and there won’t be any hostages released,” Gallant said, the report says.

Netanyahu replied: “Yes, this is the decision.”

Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer then suggested that the cabinet vote on maps of IDF deployments presented in negotiations in Cairo, but Gallant claimed that those maps were not what the IDF wanted, rather, it was what the prime minister imposed.

“I imposed? I imposed?” Netanyahu responded.

“Of course, they had their own plan. Of course, you imposed it. You are running the negotiations by yourself since the war cabinet disbanded. We learn of decisions only after they’re made. The negotiators sketched the maps as you wanted, but they had a different position,” Gallant said.

Netanyahu then banged his hands on the table, demanding an immediate vote on the maps.

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also raised his objections: “The IDF will know how to enter and return to the Philadelphi Corridor at the end of the first six weeks of a ceasefire. There are enough constraints in the talks, you don’t need to add another.”

“There is no logic to this vote right now. In any case, the negotiations are currently focused on (other issues) and not the Philadelphi Corridor,” Mossad spy agency director David Barnea said.

Gallant then told the cabinet they faced a choice: to remain in the corridor or to return the hostages.

“You are deciding to stay in the Philadelphi Corridor. Is this logical to you? There are living (hostages) there!” Gallant said.

Dermer replied, “The prime minister can do as he likes,” to which Gallant responded, “The prime minister can make all the decisions and can also decide to kill all the hostages.”

At this point, ministers called out Gallant for speaking to the prime minister in such a manner.

Gallant then told Netanyahu he would eventually cave to Sinwar’s demands.

Netanyahu shot back that he doesn’t take directions from anyone.

Gallant accused the cabinet of abandoning the hostages by making the decision, adding he would vote against the measure.

He again turned to the premier and asked, if he has between withdrawing from the Philadelphi Corridor or bringing back the hostage, which would he choose.

Netanyahu stressed that only a determined negotiating stance would bring back the hostages.

Pressed again on the question by Gallant, the prime minister said he was choosing to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor.

While Gallant went on to acknowledge that he had lost the argument this time, he predicted that the ministers would come around to his position.

“Hopefully it will happen sooner rather than later,” the defense minister said.