Israeli leadership struggles over ceasefire agreement in Gaza conflict

Shafaq News/ Details of the internal discord within Israeli leadership over the approval of a ceasefire truce in the Gaza Strip have emerged following a week-long conflict between civilian and military leaders, according to a report by The New York Times.

The disagreement revolves around concerns among Israeli leaders about whether a ceasefire deal would bolster Hamas and jeopardize the safety of remaining hostages held by the Palestinian factions.

Hamas and other factions have been holding 240 people hostage in the Gaza Strip since October 7, resulting in a devastating Israeli response that has claimed 14,128 lives, most are women and children.

According to The New York Times, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and others sought to delay the ceasefire, fearing it would slow down the momentum of the Israeli military campaign and allow Hamas to regroup. On the contrary, another group led by Mossad chief David Barnea argued that the deal was better than nothing and that the military campaign could resume after a short ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially sided with the group advocating for a delay, postponing a cabinet vote scheduled for November 14. However, the second group eventually prevailed, leading to an early vote on Wednesday that paved the way for a four-day truce and a hostage-for-prisoner exchange.

While the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli army, and Mossad declined to comment to NYT, a senior defense official from the first group noted a shift in perspective, stating, "Its members changed their minds because the conditions that Israel was able to obtain in the signed deal were much better than those that existed a week ago."