Former Israeli minister and head of the National Unity party, Benny Gantz, on Monday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Iran, which he accuses of being behind the rocket launches by Yemen's Houthi rebels against Israel.
“Today we have the opportunity to catalyze a strategic turn against Iran and its allies. We must seize the opportunity. It would be a strategic mistake of historic proportions not to do so,” Gantz said during a press conference ahead of his party’s weekly meeting in the Israeli parliament (Knesset).
Regarding the Houthis, the prime minister said on Sunday that he would continue to attack the Yemeni militia with force, something for which he says he has international support, and he asked the population for patience.
Gantz, who on Sunday accused Netanyahu of sabotaging negotiations for the release of the hostages, said the solution to the problems currently facing his country “lies in Tehran.”
“Israel must bring the hostages home, and the nations of the region, along with the United States, must work with Israel to eliminate the threat of an Iranian nuclear regime,” he said today.
He also stressed that it is time to replace the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.
“The State of Israel has not made a real decision to replace Hamas. It is not working with our friends around the world to establish an administration to run the Gaza Strip as I proposed a year ago,” he added.
The opposition politician also pointed out that this can only be achieved through political decisions that are outside of “messianic dreams and coalition needs.”
In response, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, after meeting in parliament with his far-right Religious Zionism party, called on the opposition to stop criticising the government's role in the negotiations for the release of the hostages.
“The attempt to portray (Netanyahu) as someone who is hard-hearted regarding the hostages to a large part of the people of Israel is cynical, evil and deepens the division and rift between us, and damages the chances of an agreement,” he said.
A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said negotiations were continuing and the Palestinian terror group had submitted a list of prisoners whose release it is demanding as part of a hostage swap.
According to the source, “the points of contention are mainly Hamas’ insistence on explicitly including the phrase ‘end of the war’ at the end of the third phase of the agreement, while the Israeli side has so far rejected that formula, proposing the phrase ‘end of the military operation.’”
At the same time, Israel has submitted the names of 34 detainees it is asking to be released in the first phase, among which there would also be eleven names of soldiers for whom Hamas has apparently demanded additional compensation in exchange for their release.
This source also indicated that the first phase of the agreement includes the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners, Among those who would not include Marwan Barghouti.
There are still difficult obstacles to overcome, such as Israel's demands to deport senior officials after their release, the Israeli military presence at the Rafah border crossing and the return of displaced Gazans to the north.
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article.
HOW CAN IT BE THAT ISRAEL HAS KILLED ALL THE COMMANDERS OF HAMAS AND HEZBOLA AND CANNOT FIND WHERE THE HOSTAGES ARE HIDING?
If Bibi attacks, Benny says: why does she attack?
If Bibi doesn't attack, Benny says: but what is he waiting for?
Benny should go and manage the kiosk he inherited, in one of those he will find where he finally has the skills, and in the process let those who are responsible work, without noise, and without lies.
The current Prime Minister of Israel must be removed, and that will solve everything.