Leaks reveal Netanyahu deliberately imposed starvation in Gaza to 'force Hamas surrender'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls from senior ministers to advance ceasefire negotiations and deliberately restricted all aid to Gaza in order to force a surrender from Hamas, internal government transcripts published by Israeli news outlet Channel 13 have revealed.
The transcripts from an Israeli war cabinet meeting on 1 March show that Netanyahu ignored repeated calls from senior defence officials to move to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in order to secure the release of Israeli captives, and then to renew hostilities after.
Netanyahu instead chose to unilaterally break the ceasefire in March and bar all aid to Gaza, in the hopes of forcing a surrender by Hamas.
This was despite Hamas complying with the talks, contrary to the war cabinet’s expectations.
According to the transcripts, the defence officials' calls were backed by Mossad, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who argued for advancing the deal, believing that a temporary pause in fighting could see the return of all Israeli captives held in Gaza.
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In the leaked internal documents, the Israeli forces' captives chief, major general Nitzan Alon, is quoted as saying: “The only chance to get hostages released is to discuss Phase B conditions”.
Bar said that his “preferred option is to move to Phase B”, adding that Israel could “resume the war afterward”.
Katz supported a partial deal, stating that: “If Hamas returns even a number of hostages – less than half –that’s excellent.”
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer noted that the Israeli war cabinet “thought the talks would explode once we entered them - and that didn’t happen”.
The Hostages Families Forum said the revelations were “damning” and that the government “knowingly and deliberately sabotaged” captive exchange deals and “led the public astray”.
The Israeli-imposed blockade on all humanitarian aid entering Gaza has unleashed famine in the territory, with 197 Palestinians dying of starvation so far, including 96 children.
In late July, the world's leading hunger monitoring system warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza due to the Israeli-imposed famine and siege.
A recent poll revealed that the majority of Israelis are not troubled by reports of famine and suffering in Gaza.
Israeli forces have killed over 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza since launching their onslaught on the enclave in October 2023. The vast majority of the dead are civilians, women and children.
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