As the international community watches developments in the Middle East with bated breath, with a strike by Iran and its allies against Israel seen as imminent at any moment, two camps appear to have formed in Tel Aviv. on the possibility of a possible cease-fire agreement in Gaza.
On the one hand, the heads of the Security and Defense Services favor a deal with Hamas, but Benjamin Netanyahu continues to block any attempt at a truce. The rift in relations between the two sides comes as Israel prepares to retaliate for the twin assassinations last week of Ismail Haniya, the political leader of Hamas, and Fouad Shukr, the military commander of Hezbollah.
“There are disagreements” about the merits of a deal between Netanyahu and his top security chiefs, a source familiar with the discussions in Tel Aviv told the Financial Times. “Right now all security officials believe there is no obstacle for Israel to reach a deal, but Netanyahu has to agree,” the source added.
According to Israeli media, among the officials supporting the ceasefire agreement are the head of the Israeli armed forces, Herzi Halevi, the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, and the head of the Shin Bet security service, Ronen Barr.
Even Defense Minister Yoav Gallad is now reportedly in favor of a deal. “It is important to immediately reach an agreement on the return of the hostages,” he said in a recent meeting with his Italian counterpart, against Netanyahu’s steadfast position that the only way to free the hostages is to continue the war and “eliminate of Hamas.
Netanyahu: “You are weak”
The dispute between Netanyahu and the officials became public knowledge when Israeli media such as Channel 12 News released a conversation between the prime minister and senior security officials.
“You are weak,” Netanyahu reportedly said, adding that “you don’t know how to manage a negotiation… Instead of pressuring the prime minister, press Yahya Shinwar,” referring to the Hamas leader in Gaza whom Israel accuses of masterminding attack of October 7.
Israel’s Security and Defense chiefs have responded by arguing that after 10 months of war, enough damage has been done to Hamas that it no longer poses a threat, which was a critical goal of the war. At the same time, they believe there is currently a limited window of opportunity to free the remaining 115 hostages from captivity, at least a third of whom are no longer alive.
In battle positions Iran and Israel
Meanwhile, more visible than ever is the danger of generalizing the war in the Middle East, after the assassination of Haniya in Tehran. At the same time, superhuman efforts are being made by international diplomacy for self-restraint, with the attack of Iran and its allies considered a matter of time.
Many countries have asked their nationals to leave countries in the region and airlines are canceling flights, not only to Israel, Iran and Lebanon but also to Jordan.
In Israel, some are suggesting that the country attack Iran first, and Yoav Gallad has said that the military must prepare for a “rapid transition to the attack.”
The minister, who met with Israeli air force officials in Tel Aviv, said: “We must be prepared for anything, including a rapid transition to attack.”
At the same time, the leader of Israel’s official opposition, Yair Lapid, criticizes Prime Minister Netanyahu for “waiting to be bombed”. He argued that the government has no “deterrent” against an expected Iranian attack.
“Is it acceptable to you that for five days an entire country has been sitting and waiting to be bombed? There is no deterrence and there is no government,” he characteristically wrote in his post on X.
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