Israel speaks during a ceremony commemorating the Hebrew anniversary of the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, at the Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday, October 27, 2024. Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. Gil Cohen-Magen/AP/Pool AFP Hide caption
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Gil Cohen Mergen/AP/Pool AFP
On his last day as Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Galant told the families of Israeli hostages in Gaza that the Israeli military had achieved all of its objectives in Gaza and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed to a cease-fire agreement to end Gaza. He said he has a responsibility to maintain it. Fight a war and bring the remaining hostages home.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Gallant last week, saying trust between the two sides had been “eroded” and that there were “serious differences” between him and Gallant over how to proceed with the war in Gaza.
Gil Dickman was one of the family members who attended Thursday’s meeting with Gallant. “I felt like he finally felt free to speak up and say what he thought,” Dickman told NPR.
Gallant, who previously served as defense minister throughout the war, said in July that a deal was being considered to bring the hostages home in two stages. Gallant said he urged Netanyahu to accept the deal, but the prime minister refused.
It was heartbreaking for Dickman. His cousin, Carmel Gatto, was 39 years old when she was taken hostage along with about 250 others in a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 last year that killed about 1,200 people.
Gato was killed in Gaza along with five other Israeli hostages in August after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said no to a possible ceasefire agreement in July. Hamas later took responsibility for their killings.
Thousands more Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since July, bringing the death toll to more than 43,000, according to the Health Ministry, and several hostages have also been confirmed dead.
A demonstrator holds an Israeli flag as Israelis light bonfires during a protest following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s sudden firing of Defense Minister Yoav Galant in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, November 5, 2024. person. Francisco Seco/AP/AP Hide caption
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Francisco Seco/AP/AP
Dickman noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu used the deal for his own political gain, saying, “It was very clear from him that the reason we didn’t accept this deal was neither military nor diplomatic. It was obvious. I think it was for political reasons.” “So in early July, my cousin, who was still alive, was kept in captivity and just six weeks later he was murdered.”
Mr. Dickman said Mr. Gallant told them that the Israeli military had accomplished everything it could in Gaza.
“What he said was there’s only so much you can do with force, and that’s what they did,” he recalled.
Dickman paraphrased Gallant’s words to them: We killed them all. ”As Minister of Defense, he said, “I did my job.” ” Gallant was referring to a series of high-level Hamas leaders killed by Israeli forces in October, including leader Yahya Sinwar.
NPR obtained the records, listened to the recording of the meeting with Gallant, and was able to confirm what Gil Dickman told us.
NPR also contacted both Gallant and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding these claims. Neither responded.
For Dickman, it was a certain relief to hear that Prime Minister Netanyahu was the main sticking point in the negotiations. “We’ve had 13 months of gas where Prime Minister Netanyahu keeps telling us, ‘No, this is not my fault, (…) don’t blame me for the fact that the hostages are not here.’ I feel like I have a writing experience,” Dickman said.
Gallant’s dismissal is the latest in a series of personnel changes made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza war. In June, Prime Minister Netanyahu dissolved his war cabinet, giving him more unilateral control of the war.
The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on war crimes charges related to Gaza.
Gallant’s dismissal was announced on the day of the U.S. presidential election because otherwise the Biden administration would be too distracted to challenge the decision, according to an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
However, this did not stop Israelis from protesting across the country, blocking major highways, setting fires, and eventually being suppressed by police. Many saw this as another move towards the collapse of Israeli democracy.
“We feel like our country is disappearing, and tonight is the final nail in the coffin,” Maayan Oz, 37, said at a protest in Tel Aviv. “This is the final proof that the prime minister has decided that his own interests are more important than the safety and lives of the people.”
Efforts to restart ceasefire negotiations are making slow progress. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians continue to be killed in Israeli military attacks every day in Gaza, and 101 Israeli hostages (about one-third of whom are confirmed dead) continue to languish in their captivity. are.
NPR’s Daniel Estrin contributed to this report.
