‘Government did not do everything it could to free the hostages,' former defense minister says
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has acknowledged that he had insisted on launching a military offensive in Gaza despite warnings that such an attack could endanger Israeli hostages held in the enclave.
“After the events of Oct. 7 (in 2023) and before the ground invasion began on Oct. 27, I received warnings that hostages in Gaza could be killed if we proceeded with the attack," Gallant said in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth and Israeli Channel 12 on Thursday.
However, he admitted that he pushed forward with the invasion, saying: “But I insisted on fighting and carrying out the ground operation later.”
Gallant added: “I told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that we and Hamas share only one thing – we both want to keep the hostages. They see them as leverage, while we see them as our own people.“
Despite this, the former defense chief conceded that the Israeli government, even during his tenure, “did not do everything it could to free the hostages.”
Gallant also stressed the need for a comprehensive government inquiry into Israel's Oct. 7 failures.
While some Israeli officials have taken responsibility for the security lapses, Netanyahu has refused to do so and has resisted calls for an official investigation into what has been described as the most significant intelligence and security failure in Israel's history.
Gallant also revealed that far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had repeatedly obstructed hostage exchange negotiations by threatening to withdraw from the government, claiming that Israel could have reached a deal in 2024.
Addressing the role of former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Gallant said his repeated raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem contributed to rising tensions and played a role in escalating the situation before Oct. 7.
Last month, Ben Gvir announced his resignation from the Israeli government in rejection of the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
On the future of Gaza after the ongoing Israeli assault, Gallant dismissed the possibility of establishing Israeli settlements there arguing that it would be nearly impossible to maintain military rule over the territory.
“If settlements are built in Gaza, the outcome will be disastrous,” he warned.
In November last year, Netanyahu dismissed Gallant and replaced him with Israel Katz as the defense minister. Katz's previous position as foreign minister was then handed to Gideon Sa'ar, the leader of the National Unity party.
Netanyahu justified the move by citing an “irreparable crisis of trust” with Gallant claiming that their differences over the handling of the Gaza operation and the issue of Israeli hostages made it impossible to continue managing the war effectively.
