David Barnea has been leading the Israeli negotiation team
uly 17, 2024
Mossad Director David Barnea, the Israeli official leading indirect negotiations with Hamas, said Wednesday that one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest demands may prevent a potential ceasefire and hostage deal.
According to Haaretz, Barnea presented the security cabinet with the differences between Netanyahu and the negotiating team. He said the main problem now is Netanyahu’s insistence on creating a mechanism for Israel to monitor Palestinians returning to north Gaza during a potential ceasefire.
Israel had previously agreed to allow free movement of Palestinians so they could return to the north. But Netanyahu reversed that concession and publicly called for the agreement to prohibit armed men from entering the north.
Israeli security and military officials favor a ceasefire deal, but Netanyahu has been working to sabotage an agreement as members of his coalition government are threatening to quit, which could threaten his hold on power. Israeli officials have told the media that Netanyahu was looking to make sure a deal didn’t happen before he heads to Washington next week to address Congress and meet with President Biden.
Also on Wednesday, members of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party called on Netanyahu to reach a deal with Hamas and to ignore members of the government threatening to quit, which includes National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“We believe that the conditions created now, following the appreciated military pressure and targeted killings, create an appropriate timing to reach a deal that preserves Israel’s vital security interests and brings the hostages home,” the Shas party said in a letter to Netanyahu, according to Haaretz.
The Shas party holds 11 seats in the Knesset and is part of the coalition government. Referring to Ben Gvir and Smotich, the party told Netanyahu “not to fear the voices within the coalition who oppose the deal and encourage you to continue to act responsibly for the sake of the mitzvah of redeeming captives.”
Two Likud ministers, Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel and Transportation Minister Miri Regev, are also calling for an agreement. “There is no reason why this deal should not go through,” Gamliel said. “Smotrich’s threats [to dissolve the coalition over the deal] – for that, he should have been fired immediately. The very threat should have caused him to go home.”
While Netanyahu and the most extremist elements of his government are increasingly on their own in opposition to a deal, the Biden administration continues to provide support for the genocidal campaign in Gaza despite claiming to want to see a ceasefire.
In the meantime, Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip. Gaza’s Health Ministry said Wednesday that 81 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in the previous 24-hour period. One attack targeted a UN-run school turned shelter for civilians in the Nuseirat refugee camp.
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