Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s team sharply rejected National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz’s claims that Netanyahu is hindering efforts to bring back the hostages.

“The Prime Minister, who has led significant actions to defeat Hamas, should not be lectured by Gantz, who advocated for a ceasefire even before entering Rafah,” the Prime Minister’s Office declared.

The statement went on to say, “Since Gantz exited the government for political reasons, the Prime Minister has orchestrated powerful strikes against Hamas, defeated Hezbollah, taken direct action against Iran, and played a role in the collapse of Assad’s regime in Syria. Those who are not contributing to the national cause should at the very least refrain from undermining it.”

In response, Gantz’s office issued a harsh critique: “Netanyahu, stop acting like a coward. You were too afraid to dismantle the coalition, and it was only because of Gantz’s pressure that over 100 hostages were freed. You hesitated to launch a ground operation in Gaza, while Gantz was the one pushing to proceed. You were paralyzed by the idea of a campaign in the north when Gantz urged you to take action. You know that without external pressure, you would never have acted. Netanyahu, you have previously sabotaged hostage deals out of fear of coalition instability. We won’t let you do it again now that a genuine deal is on the table. Netanyahu, stop being a coward.”

Gantz recently accused Prime Minister Netanyahu of blocking a potential hostage deal for political gain.

“In these crucial moments, words have real consequences. Netanyahu said that ‘the less we speak the better,’ but continues to give interviews to foreign media while an unnamed ‘senior official’ makes statements to the Israeli press,” Gantz argued.

He added, “Whenever the negotiations are making progress, Netanyahu undermines them. Netanyahu, you do not have the authority to block the return of our hostages for political reasons. Securing the hostages is critical for our national security, our humanity, and our pride as a nation.”

Gantz also took issue with Netanyahu’s remarks in the Wall Street Journal regarding Hamas’ rule in Gaza. “You said that Hamas must not be allowed to control Gaza because it is only 30 miles from Tel Aviv. Let me remind you: Hamas must not control Gaza because it is just 2 kilometers from Nir Oz and Be’eri, and 4 kilometers from Sderot. The security of those towns must be restored, and the hostages taken from their homes must be brought back,” Gantz emphasized.

{Matzav.com}