During a press conference on Wednesday evening, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant sparked a political storm by openly criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s lack of decisiveness regarding the governance of Gaza post-Hamas defeat.
The press conference marked Gallant’s first in several months and represented the most pointed critique by a member of Israel’s war cabinet since hostilities commenced on October 7. The tensions, simmering for months, boiled over following recent reports that senior IDF officers felt compelled to re-engage in combat in previously secured areas due to the absence of a viable governing alternative to Hamas.
Gallant, a former general and now a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, publicly criticized the government for not having a postwar plan for Gaza. He demanded that Netanyahu personally pledge to support Palestinian governance of the enclave, rather than Israeli settlement or occupation.
Spokeswoman Tal Heinrich stated in the morning briefing that Israel is a democracy where leaders may have differing opinions, yet everyone seeks what is best for the nation. Watching the briefing is recommended to gain a comprehensive understanding of the current situation in Israel.
“Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the cabinet, and have received no response,” Gallant said. “The end of the military campaign must come together with political action. The ‘day after Hamas’ will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas’s rule.”
“Hamas no longer functions as a military organization,” Gallant said in a statement. “Most of its battalions have been dismantled. … However, as long as Hamas retains control over civilian life in Gaza, it may rebuild and strengthen [itself], thus requiring the IDF to return and fight in areas where it has already operated.”
Gallant’s comments emerge amid ongoing U.S. apprehensions regarding Israel’s absence of a post-conflict strategy. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Monday, “While military pressure is essential, it alone cannot completely vanquish Hamas. … Hence, our discussions with Israel revolve around aligning their military actions with a definitive strategic outcome … envisioning an improved future for Gaza and the Palestinian populace.”
Gallant urged Netanyahu to publicly commit to relinquishing Israel’s military control over Gaza, regardless of potential personal or political repercussions. In a video reply, Netanyahu suggested that Gallant was concocting “excuses” for failing to eradicate Hamas.
In his video the Prime Minister declared “I am not willing to replace Hamastan with Fatahstan,” Netanyahu said, referring to the dominant political faction in the Palestinian Authority. “Therefore, the first condition for replacing Hamas with another factor is to destroy Hamas – and to do it without excuses.”
Netanyahu said that the IDF is still fighting to destroy Hamas, and “as long as Hamas remains intact, no other factor will come in to manage Gaza, certainly not the PA…[which] supports terror, educates terror and funds terror.”
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is anticipated to visit Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend, as reported by Axios on Tuesday, concurrent with the Israeli military’s advance into Rafah.
U.S. officials have stated that Israel has not presented a credible plan for the protection of civilians in Rafah amid a full-scale invasion of the city bordering Egypt. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees reports that approximately 360,000 individuals have evacuated Rafah following Israel’s issuance of partial evacuation orders for the city’s eastern districts early last week.
Sullivan informed the press on Monday that the United States is collaborating with Israel to devise a more effective strategy to guarantee Hamas’ defeat, particularly in Rafah.
Reflecting on the United States’ “painful experience” with counterinsurgency efforts in the Middle East, Sullivan urged Israel to develop a political strategy for the coastal region governed by Hamas since 2007.
“Military pressure is necessary but not sufficient to fully defeat Hamas,” Sullivan said. “If Israel’s efforts are not accompanied by a political plan for the future of Gaza and the Palestinian people, the terrorists will keep coming back.”
Sullivan may attend the 33rd Arab Summit, which is currently underway in Bahrain. This landmark summit, being hosted by Bahrain for the first time, seeks to tackle pivotal regional issues. Leaders from Arab countries are convening to discuss the Gaza conflict, propose a ceasefire, and support a two-state solution that encompasses a Palestinian state.
This remains a developing story and will be updated.Jim Williams covers the conflict between Israel and Hamas, offering comprehensive written articles and video coverage on various Middle Eastern issues.