In an interview with military commentator Yoav Limor on the occasion of the Israel Hayom newspaper's post-October 7 conference, Benny Gantz made powerful statements on the management of the hostage crisis and the country's security future.
The former war cabinet minister pointed out the government's delays in releasing the hostages: “In my opinion, 30 people lost their lives because we did not reach an agreement for political reasons.” “The return of kidnapped people is at the heart of the values of the State of Israel” and if an agreement is possible in Lebanon, it is also possible “with the enemy which is the most disintegrated”, he said. underlined when speaking of Hamas.
On the northern front, Gantz welcomed the progress made in Lebanon, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining the new rules of the game: “It is very important to enforce the elements of the current agreement and not to return to the equations before October 7.”
Concerning Gaza, the MP pleaded for a broad diplomatic approach, calling for the mobilization of the United States, Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region, and believing that “military power alone is not enough.” However, he affirmed the need to continue military operations, while ruling out the idea of Jewish relocation to the Palestinian territory.
On the question of responsibilities for October 7, Gantz defended the general staff: “The upper echelon of the army has already assumed its responsibilities […] I’m glad he’s in charge during this volatile time.”
