Israel’s premier, defense minister trade barbs over ‘total victory’ in Gaza

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister traded barbs on Monday over the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called Netanyahu’s talk of “total victory” over Hamas “gibberish” during a closed meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

“I hear all the heroes with the war drums, the ‘absolute victory’ and this gibberish,” Gallant said.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying that Gallant “is bound by absolute victory too.”

“When Gallant adopts an anti-Israel narrative, he hurts the chances of reaching a hostage deal,” the statement said.

“He should have attacked [Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar], who refuses to send a delegation to negotiations, and who was and remains the only obstacle to the hostage deal.”

Last week, Egyptian, Qatari, and US mediators urged Israel and Hamas to finalize details of a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal with no further delays or excuses.

While Israel said it will send a delegation to the talks, Hamas demanded mediators present a plan to implement a cease-fire proposal supported by US President Joe Biden that it had agreed to on July 2.

Netanyahu reiterated his stance that Israel must achieve “absolute victory” in Gaza.

“This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the cabinet, and it is binding on everyone — including Gallant,” the statement said.

Indirect talks mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire deal over Netanyahu’s rejection of Hamas’ call for ending the war and allowing the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has since killed roughly 39,900 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,000 others, according to local health authorities.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara