Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has voiced open frustration at the government’s failure to address the question of a post-war plan for Gaza.

In a rare public sign of divisions over the direction of the military campaign within Israel’s war cabinet, Mr Gallant urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare publicly that Israel has no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza.

“Since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the Cabinet,” he said, “and have received no response.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded harshly, saying he was "not ready to exchange Hamastan for Fatahstan," in reference to rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah.

Indecision, he warned, would leave only two bad options in Gaza: Hamas rule or Israeli military rule.

Either “would erode our military achievements, lessen the pressure on Hamas and sabotage chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages,” Mr Gallant said.

Another member of the war cabinet, Benny Gantz - who has disagreed with Netanyahu in the past - agreed with the defence minister: "Gallant speaks the truth. It is the leadership's responsibility to do the right thing for the country at all costs."

Mr Gallant said that the defence establishment, over which he presides, had presented a war plan to the cabinet as early as the night when Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza began last October. He said the plans included proposals “to establish a local, non-hostile Palestinian governing alternative.”

The day after Hamas, he said, would “only be achieved by Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors.”

He said these proposals were never debated, nor were any alternatives presented.

Mr Gallant said the failure to set out a plan was leading Israel towards a “dangerous course” involving Israeli military and civilian rule over Gaza.

He described that prospect as “a negative and dangerous option for the State of Israel strategically, militarily, and from a security standpoint.”

“I must reiterate: I will not agree to the establishment of Israeli military rule in Gaza. Israel must not establish civilian rule in Gaza.”

“I call on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza strip, that Israel will not establish military governance in the Gaza strip, and that a governing alternative to Hamas in the Gaza strip will be raised immediately.”

Israeli press reports have recently included suggestions that military leaders have grave misgivings about the lack of a viable plan for Gaza after the war ends. Mr Gallant’s comments this evening bring those misgivings out into the open in a politically explosive way.

On a visit to Ukraine on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel needed to produce a clear plan for Gaza's future.

"We can't have anarchy and a vacuum that's likely to be filled by chaos," Mr Blinken said.

Mr Netanyahu has previously insisted that discussions on the future governance of Gaza are just “empty talk” as long as Hamas remains in the territory.

NETANYAHU to Gallant: "I'm not prepared to exchange'Hamstan' for 'Fatahstan' . The first condition for the day after is to eliminate Hamas and to do so without excuses."

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Netanyahu is referring to the fact that Israelis can't trust the ruling Palestinian faction in the "West Bank" (Fatah) any more than it could Hamas.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to Gallant:

"From Gallant's point of view, there is no difference between a Gaza controlled by IDF soldiers, and one ruled by Hamas murderers. This is the faulty thinking of a defense minister who failed on October 7, and continues to fail even now.
Such a defense minister must be replaced in order to achieve the goals of the war."

Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karai to Gallant:

"A little modesty from the Minister of Defense towards those who warned all these years about the faulty worldview of him and his colleagues

"I can agree with him on one thing: as long as he is the Minister of Defense, military rule [of Gaza] is definitely a bad option. But that can be fixed."

Settlements Minister Orit Strock to Gallant:

"If the Minister of Defense plans to give Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, the same [Palestinian Authority] that encourages and finances terrorism,
whose leaders failed to condemn the Oct. 7 massacre, and who are currently holding unity talks with Hamas in China and Russia, then he needs to stand before the families of the IDF martyrs and tell them that this is what their loved ones fell for!"

Justice Minister Yariv Levin to Gallant:

"The people of Israel are not ready to be humiliated.
The people of Israel are not ready to be led into the 'Oslo 2' process, which will lead Israel to another disaster. The people of Israel will not agree to hand over Gaza to the Palestinian Terrorist Authority.

The people of Israel know that Israel's security will only be achieved by victory, and not by relying on promises of peace from the vile terrorists and their various organizations."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to Gallant:

"Galant announced today his support for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state as a reward to Hamas for perpetrating the most terrible massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

"Gallant hides behind amorphous statements regarding a 'third party' that is neither Hamas nor Israel in order to hide the truth – that there is no such entity.

"Gallant's true plan is to bring the PA into Gaza, paid for by the blood of our warriors, within the framework of a reconciliation between the PA and Hamas...thus paving the way for the establishment of a terrorist state...

"A government in which we are members will not continue with failed concepts, will not establish a Palestinian state and will not endanger the survival of the State of Israel."

God1000:
The man is just amplifying what some of us have been saying.

Benjamin Netanyahu is gradually losing the support within his government, he will be kicked out soon.

I see this man taking over from netanyahu as the next Israeli prime minister with US support because netanyahu isn't listening to Joe Biden as well.

All netanyahu is after is more land grabbing and making sure Palestine doesn't exist.


As usual I expect some Nigerians to call the defence minister a terrorist sympathizer since he's no longer thinking in their direction

Uprightness100:
Rest! The Whole Government and Country is with Netanyahu and against the Defense minister.

All the Ministers in the Netanyahu, Lambasted the Defense Minister for his words on the day after Gaza.
Even citizens and soldiers came after the Defense Minister for his thoughts for the day after in gaza...
It was a total uproar and anger against the Defense minister .
The Defense is totally put off on that.

YesDaddyTill203:
Criminals.
Sooner or later, the apartheid terrorist state of Israel will pay for their crimes against humanity.
The brainless retar@ded imb@cile IPOB terrorist cannibal monkeys supporting them are known to always support eventual losers. History will not be kind to these baby killers.
Even Americans that are paying for this genocide are slowly turning against these animals.

God1000:
The man is just amplifying what some of us have been saying.

Benjamin Netanyahu is gradually losing the support within his government, he will be kicked out soon.

I see this man taking over from netanyahu as the next Israeli prime minister with US support because netanyahu isn't listening to Joe Biden as well.

All netanyahu is after is more land grabbing and making sure Palestine doesn't exist.


As usual I expect some Nigerians to call the defence minister a terrorist sympathizer since he's no longer thinking in their direction

huptin:
Whether Netanyahu likes it or not, there will be a day after Gaza, he needs to plan for that day now. Lest another set of terrorists take over from Hamas