Israeli PM, Defence Minister trade accusations over Gaza war goals

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in a heated argument with his defence minister on Monday, highlighting deep divisions within the government as the war in Gaza threatens to spill over into a wider regional conflict.

According to Israeli media reports, Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that Netanyahu’s war goal of total victory over the Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip was “nonsense”. Netanyahu’s office immediately issued a statement condemning Galant.

“When Galant resorted to anti-Israel rhetoric, he harmed the chances of reaching a hostage agreement,” the statement said.

The statement said Israel’s war goal remains “complete victory,” eliminating Hamas and releasing the remaining hostages taken by Hamas-led gunmen on October 7 last year.

“This is a clear directive from Prime Minister Netanyahu and the security cabinet, and everyone is obliged, including Galant,” the statement said.

Tensions have risen sharply since a missile attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on July 27 that killed 12 young people, with Israel preparing to guard against possible attacks from Iran and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon.

Following the attack, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. A day later, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, prompting Iran to vow revenge.

Galant has clashed repeatedly with Netanyahu and the nationalist-religious parties in his ruling coalition, and the public condemnation is the latest development in the ongoing civil unrest in the government since it came to power in 2022.

Last year, Netanyahu tried to remove Galant from office over his opposition to plans to limit the power of the Supreme Court, but was forced to change his policy in the face of massive protests by hundreds of thousands of Israelis.

The latest exchange comes ahead of a last-ditch effort to restart negotiations brokered by Egypt and Qatar to stop the fighting in Gaza and free the 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in the Strip.

Hamas said it would not send a delegation to the meeting and accused Netanyahu of wanting to waste time rather than working sincerely to reach a deal.