Former National Security Council head Eyal Hulata said he is 'not sure that the return of the hostages was at the top of the priorities of some cabinet members.' Knesset member Tal Meir responded that priorities differed because some ministers 'did not want surrender and defeat,' and that the current military position — IDF control of 70% of the Strip — vindicates the rejection of Gantz and Eisenkot's approach.
A debate over the government's hostage-priority calculus surfaced Monday morning, driven by comments from former National Security Council head Eyal Hulata and current Likud MK Tal Meir. Hulata, who served under Prime Minister Netanyahu, cast doubt on whether returning captives was truly the government's top concern. Meir countered, arguing that different ministers held different priorities because they opposed surrender. He said the decision to withstand pressure from former war cabinet members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot proved correct, pointing to the IDF's control of 70% of the Gaza Strip and the return of hostages without a total military defeat. The exchange adds a new dimension to ongoing internal political debate over the conduct of the war and the treatment of the hostage issue — a matter The Zioneer has previously covered in the context of Netanyahu's security briefings and his rejection of what he called a 'Hamas dictate.'
- StrongEisenkot warns Israel is squandering military gains, says Netanyahu hamstrung by coalition partners
- DevelopingNetanyahu: Hamas demand to leave Gaza was an 'enormous defeat'
- DevelopingEx-Mossad official rebuts Nitzan Alon's claim that government rejected hostage deals
- DevelopingMinister Eliyahu blames outgoing general Alon for hostage deaths
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