ALBAWABA - Israeli Defense Minister Gallant has voiced his support for a mutual prisoner exchange agreement drafted in Egypt. According to reports from Israeli state television KAN, Gallant expressed his endorsement during a War Cabinet meeting where he addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly in favor of the agreement.
In his remarks advocating for the prisoner exchange negotiations, Gallant emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement to bring Israeli captives back home from Gaza.
Despite initial reservations from Prime Minister Netanyahu, the draft agreement received unanimous backing from all members of the War Cabinet.
Concerns about potential leaks jeopardizing the negotiations led to a decision during an extended Cabinet meeting not to present the draft agreement to Cabinet members.
Negotiations on the prisoner exchange, facilitated by Egypt and Qatar, are currently underway in Cairo. Israel has stated it will not send a delegation to Cairo until Hamas responds to the ceasefire proposal, indicating its reluctance to end the conflict.
Senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, have reiterated their intention to carry out a ground assault on Rafah, where at least 1.5 million Palestinians, many of whom have been forcibly displaced, have sought refuge, despite warnings from the international community.
Meanwhile, Hamas is seeking assurances of a permanent ceasefire ending the conflict in Gaza as part of the prisoner exchange agreement.
Israeli authorities report that there are over 130 Israeli captives in Gaza, some alive and some deceased. Hamas's military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, previously announced that more than 70 Israeli captives were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Families and supporters of Israeli captives warn that an attack on Rafah would disregard the lives of the captives.
Since October 7th, Israel's attacks on Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians, including more than 24,000 women and children. Israel faces accusations of genocide in the International Court of Justice amid the humanitarian crisis and devastation in Gaza.
