by JNS Staff
"The new team changed the dynamic and led negotiations instead of concessions," said an official from the PMO following Netanyahu's change-up of the team leading ceasefire talks in Qatar.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Shin
Bet (Israel Security Agency) director Ronen Bar, April 18, 2024.
Credit: Koby Gideon/GPO. |
A senior official in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office involved in the talks with Hamas on Wednesday said the removal of Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Ronen Bar and Mossad chief David Barnea as the leaders of the negotiating team led to the recent breakthroughs.
The statement, which was widely cited by Hebrew media, came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that he had changed the makeup of the team leading the talks in Qatar and Egypt.
“The achievement of the agreement to release six of our living hostages in one fell swoop, alongside the return of four dead hostages tomorrow, is the result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to change the composition of the negotiating team,” the source was cited as saying.
“The new team changed the dynamic and led negotiations instead of concessions,” the official added, hailing the recent achievements led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
“It also stopped the practice of regular and biased briefings against the prime minister and the political echelon, which only caused Hamas to entrench its position and add demands,” the statement concluded.
However, an anonymous security source told Hebrew outlets that “the one who determined the mandate throughout was the prime minister himself.”
“The summaries and outline agreed upon in phase one were approved by the prime minister, who approved and was involved in each of the stages of the process,” the official claimed in the response.
Another anonymous Israeli source who was said to have been involved in the talks claimed that “the initiative to advance the final release and free six hostages at once is a Hamas initiative, which Israel agreed to.”
The PMO issued an official response to the latter statement, saying that “the claim by ‘negotiators’ that Hamas is the one who advanced the release is a new peak of absurdity and echoing Hamas propaganda.
“The understandings were reached as a result of the prime minister’s firm stance and his directive to increase the IDF forces around and inside Gaza, and the ultimatum of U.S. President Trump,” it added.
The PMO statement reiterated that the Palestinian terrorist group has “announced its refusal to release our hostages and thereby violate the agreement—and only Israel’s resolute stance led Hamas to fold.”
Dermer will head the upcoming negotiations for the second phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, replacing Barnea, who led the current round, Israel’s Channel 12 News channel reported on Tuesday.
The Hebrew outlet reported earlier this month that Barnea would still engage with Qatari and Egyptian mediators under Dermer’s guidance.
On Monday, Kan News reported that Bar had been removed from the team. His former deputy is reportedly replacing him in the talks. Sources told the public broadcaster that he could join phase-two talks, however.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed on Tuesday that Jerusalem had decided to start talks on Phase 2 of the deal, which would see the remaining living hostages, both civilians and soldiers, released.
As part of the talks, set to begin later this week, the Israeli government will demand the complete disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations in Gaza, the minister stressed.
As part of the first phase, which is set to end on March 1, Hamas will free six more living hostages on Saturday—double the number it was to have released under the terms of the ceasefire.
In exchange, the Israeli government has reportedly signaled its willingness to allow the entry of hundreds of mobile homes into the Strip.
In addition, the bodies of four hostages murdered in Hamas captivity will be handed over on Thursday, in line with the ceasefire deal, which stipulates that the remains are to be returned on the 33rd day of the truce.
“Pursuant to the agreement, four additional deceased hostages are due to be returned to Israel next week,” the PMO announced on Tuesday.
According to official estimates, 73 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza after 500-plus days, including 70 abducted during the Hamas-led cross-border terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. This figure includes the remains of at least 35 hostages.
JNS Staff
Source: https://www.jns.org/source-in-netanyahus-office-security-chiefs-gave-concessions-to-hamas/
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