Israeli cabinet: five hours of deliberations amid public refusals and backroom deals

Under a strict media blackout, the Israeli cabinet met yesterday evening for about five continuous hours, from which only limited information leaked about what transpired behind closed doors. The meeting took place amid public hardline rhetoric from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who refused to discuss a partial ceasefire deal in Gaza at this stage and also rejected National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s request to vote against the deal.

Despite the tough public stance, Haaretz reported that informal contacts over the deal are still being conducted behind the scenes. Some developments during the day offered a glimpse of efforts that appear aimed at reaching an agreed negotiating framework to return the hostages and end the war.

The paper said Netanyahu’s decision not to officially announce rejection of the partial deal, which Israel had supported a month ago, is part of an attempt to give the political leadership more room to maneuver in the negotiations.

A source familiar with the talks told Haaretz: “Negotiations are ongoing all the time and there are active efforts, but it is difficult to assess whether the track will lead to an agreement before the launch of the military operation in Gaza.”

In a sign of division within the cabinet, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir expressed support for a partial deal, saying during the meeting there is a framework on the table that should be taken into account, adding: “The ‘Gideon Vehicles’ operation created the conditions for the return of the hostages,” even though the matter was not on the agenda.