Smotrich:’If we surrender to Hamas’s demands as Minister Gallant wants, then we have lost the war.’
Following the news that the IDF recovered 6 bodies of recently killed hostages in Gaza, a contentious cabinet meeting Sunday exposed the rift between Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on one side and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the other regarding a ceasefire deal and the IDF’s presence in the Philadelphi corridor.
Gallant was opposed to the cabinet’s vote on Thursday affirming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that the IDF maintain a presence in the Philadelphi corridor as a condition for a ceasefire deal.
The Defense Minister urged on Sunday, as he had during the vote, that negotiating with Hamas and making concessions was the only way to secure the release of the remaining hostages.