Netanyahu Faces High-Level Opposition to His Stance on Gaza Truce

[marble falls]

Netanyahu Faces High-Level Opposition to His Stance on Gaza Truce

High-level political and security figures are said to be resisting the prime minister’s demand for a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/02/world/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-gaza-war-ceasefire.html

By Isabel Kershner and Adam Rasgon

Reporting from Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Sept. 2, 2025Updated 3:58 p.m. ET

A split has opened up within Israel’s political and military leadership over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on a comprehensive deal to end the Gaza war, according to four officials with knowledge of the internal deliberations.

Several leading figures in the military, the Mossad spy agency and the government are calling instead for a return to the phased approach to resolving the conflict, beginning with a temporary truce.

Mr. Netanyahu and other senior ministers now favor a more elusive deal that aims to free all the remaining hostages at once and end the war on terms set by Israel — terms that Hamas has so far rejected. The phased approach would free about half the hostages initially in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners.

Those opposing Mr. Netanyahu’s stance include the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir; David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency; Tzachi Hanegbi, Mr. Netanyahu’s national security adviser; and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. The opponents have not commented publicly. The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment and the Israeli military declined to comment.

-snip-

Lara Jakes, Gabby Sobelman, Abu Bakr Bashir and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad contributed reporting.

Isabel Kershner, a Times correspondent in Jerusalem, has been reporting on Israeli and Palestinian affairs since 1990.

Adam Rasgon is a reporter for The Times in Jerusalem, covering Israeli and Palestinian affairs.




Opponents of the Prime Minister’s position who attended meeting of Israel’s security cabinet reported on the Security cabinet discussions that are classified, "as stormy."

Hamas said it would agree to the latest proposal for a phased cease-fire deal put forward by Egypt and Qatar. "A temporary truce would postpone Israel’s planned invasion of the heart of Gaza City, which IDF characterizes as the last of Hamas’s strongholds."

[AloeVera]

1. Netanyahu wants to "finish the job" of genocide over saving the hostages.

Probably kick-backs await him from the "Great Trust" project financed off the backs of Palestinians, I.e. their public lands. They won't need those anyway when they're "cleansed" into South Sudan.

Evil. Ugh.

[Mosby]

2. How does Israel "save the hostages"?

What are the hostage takers demands?

[Wounded Bear]

3. Yeah, I suspect that ship has sailed. Seems doubtful any are still alive...nt

[Mosby]

4. I think there are living hostages

But Hamas isn't going to release all of them because they know how valuable they are to Israel, especially since 100s of thousands of Israelis seem to think Netanyahu can just snap his fingers and magically get the hostages released. For whatever bizzare reason, many people now blame Israel for the hostage situation because they haven't made enough concessions to the terrorists. Israel made a very serious mistake when they started negotiating with hostage takers, the Gilad Shalit deal was a watershed moment for Israel's enemies, it showed them a path to "victory" and the eventual destruction of Israel. The main goal of Oct 7th was hostage taking, but even Hamas didn't anticipate the heavy involvement of civilians and the psychotic behavior they engaged in at the concert site and kibbutzim.

Israel should never have negotiated with hostage takers, they AND Palestinians are paying a very high price because of that decision.