Former Israel defence minister admits issuing orders to attack Gaza, kill Israeli captives

Former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant admitted issuing orders to attack the Gaza Strip despite warnings that this could lead the Israeli captives held by Palestinian factions to be killed.

Gallant shared in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth and Channel 12: “After the events of 7 October (2023) and before the ground invasion began on 27 October, I received warnings that hostages in Gaza could be killed if we proceeded with the attack.” He added: “But I insisted on fighting and carrying out the ground operation later.”

He clarified: “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.”

Gallant stressed that the government, even when he was serving as minister of defence: “Did not do everything it could to free the hostages.”

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He noted that they had instructed the army to implement the Hannibal Directive, which involves killing captives along with their captors and stressed the need for a comprehensive government inquiry into Israel’s 7 October failures.

While some Israeli officials have admitted their responsibility, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to do so, and resists calls to form an official investigation committee to investigate the events that observers have considered the most significant intelligence and security failure in Israel’s history.

Gallant pointed out that extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich obstructed the completion of a deal on more than one occasion after he threatened to withdraw from the government, noting that Tel Aviv could have signed a deal in 2024.

Regarding resigned Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, Gallant stated that his repeated raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem were among the factors that raised tensions and contributed to the escalation of the situation before the attack on 7 October, 2023.

Gallant shared his view that it is impossible to establish Israeli settlements in Gaza because it is almost impossible to establish military rule there, adding that it would be disastrous if settlements were built.

Last November, Netanyahu announced the dismissal of Gallant and the appointment of Yisrael Katz, with the head of the New Hope party, Gideon Sa’ar, taking over the Foreign Ministry portfolio that Katz previously held.

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