Ex-Israel DM slams Netanyahu’s delay in prisoner exchange decision

Former Israeli Defence Minister Gadi Eisenkot yesterday criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of being unwilling to make the courageous decisions necessary to secure the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.

Eisenkot, who is currently a Knesset member with the opposition national Unity Party, told the local radio station 103 FM that while Netanyahu desires the return of the prisoners of war, he lacks the resolve to take the necessary bold steps.

“All the heads of the security services, most of the government ministers, and even the Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem [a close ally of Netanyahu], among others, have pushed for a comprehensive deal. We supported it, but there was one opponent – Netanyahu,” Eisenkot said.

On Monday, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Israeli negotiating team had returned to Tel Aviv from Cairo “without any progress on the Philadelphi Corridor issue.”

Quoting an unnamed Israeli source familiar with the talks, the news site noted that “the Philadelphi Corridor [the area between Gaza and Egypt] remains unresolved, with no agreement reached, and Netanyahu is not prepared to budge on this issue.”

The Israeli source confirmed that “the gap lies in the fact that Israel is willing to maintain forces in the Philadelphi Corridor, but the Egyptians and Palestinians insist on a complete withdrawal [of Israeli occupation forces].”

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid yesterday accused Netanyahu of stalling and sabotaging the negotiations. “All of Netanyahu’s attempts to sabotage the negotiations must stop. A deal must be made now before all the captives [the Israeli prisoners in Gaza] perish.”

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has continued its military operations in Gaza since 7 October 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 92,740 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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