Netanyahu Slams Gallant for Questioning the Goal of ‘Total Victory’ in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel blasted his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Monday after the Israeli news media reported that Mr. Gallant had disparaged the Israeli leader’s goal of “total victory” over Hamas, the armed Palestinian group Israel has been battling in Gaza.
The strongly worded statement from Mr. Netanyahu’s office was a reflection of a rift within Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government, and in Israel more broadly, over the prosecution of the war, now in its 11th month.
Ynet, a centrist Israeli news outlet, reported that Mr. Gallant had told members of the Israeli Parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee on Monday that Mr. Netanyahu’s “total victory” slogan was “nonsense.” A member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of the closed-door meeting, confirmed Mr. Gallant used the term.
“When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage release deal,” the prime minister’s office said. “Israel has only one choice: To achieve total victory, which means eliminating Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, and releasing our hostages. This victory will be achieved.”
Realizing that goal, Mr. Netanyahu’s office said, was the directive of the prime minister and the cabinet, which everyone in the government, including Mr. Gallant, must follow.
Mr. Gallant, in a post on social media on Monday, seemed to play down his differences with Mr. Netanyahu. “During a security briefing I gave today to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, I emphasized I was determined to achieve the war’s goals and continue fighting until Hamas is dismantled and the hostages are returned,” he said.
Pointedly, he also criticized whoever had leaked what happened in a closed-door meeting. “One of the main vulnerabilities revealed in the war, against which we must act with full force, are the incessant leaks from sensitive and classified meetings,” he said. Mr. Gallant stressed his career of public service and commitment to Israel’s security, noting that Israel was facing challenging days ahead.
Firing Mr. Gallant was not on the agenda for Mr. Netanyahu, according to a second Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to communicate with reporters. Mr. Netanyahu could still oust Mr. Gallant from his role at a later date, if he decides to take such action.
The rift comes during a critical week in the conflict, when Israel is bracing for an expected retaliation from Iran and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, even as intense diplomatic efforts are underway to hammer out a cease-fire in the Gaza conflict and avert a wider war.
For months, Mr. Netanyahu has said that he was committed to dismantling Hamas’s military and government, and to freeing Israeli hostages. But senior members of the Israeli security establishment have argued that the two goals can’t be achieved simultaneously. Many security officials have argued that a cease-fire agreement with Hamas is the only way to bring the roughly 115 dead and living hostages home.
Hamas has consistently said any cease-fire agreement should include an end to the war and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Mr. Netanyahu has suggested he would only be open to a temporary pause in the war of several weeks.
Mr. Gallant, a member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party, has frequently been at odds with the prime minister, clashing with him over legislation seeking the overhaul of the Israeli judiciary, proposals for the future administration of Gaza, and the cease-fire talks.
After more centrist politicians left Mr. Netanyahu’s government in June, many political analysts said Mr. Gallant, who was a senior general in the military, became the main voice of moderation within the government’s decision-making circles.
Johnatan Reiss contributed reporting to this article.
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