Benny Gantz, former member of Israel's three-man war Cabinet, said on Thursday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructed a prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip for “political reasons.”
In an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster, Gantz said that “for many months, there has been a consensus about the battle and what needs to be done... And over time, this approach has changed and we've seen other considerations.”
He said that in a prisoner swap deal, the war cabinet agrees on a certain parameter, which is then approved and ratified by Netanyahu. “We then transfer this parameter to Israel’s negotiation team,” Gantz explained.
However, he added, Netanyahu was under pressure and he stopped the negotiating team from accomplishing the task.
The former member of the war cabinet considered that Netanyahu delayed the prisoner exchange deal based on personal political calculations.
Commenting on the escalation of tension between Israel and Hezbollah, Gantz said he prefers a political settlement on the northern border with Lebanon rather than continuing and intensifying the war.
“I understand this is a tough war, but perhaps it's inevitable. If we can stop it with political pressure, we will, and if that doesn't work, we have to move on,” he affirmed.
Last Sunday, Gantz announced his resignation from the war cabinet. He had previously said he would leave the government if Netanyahu did not formulate a new plan for postwar Gaza, AFP reported.
In a televised address, Gantz announced: “(Benjamin) Netanyahu is preventing us from progressing to a real victory. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today with a heavy heart.”
He then called for an agreed-upon date for early parliamentary elections. “There should be elections that will eventually establish a government that will win the trust of the people and be able to face challenges. I call on Netanyahu: set an agreed election date.”
On Sunday evening, right-wing National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir Ben-Gvir demanded a spot in the war Cabinet to replace Gantz.
