Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed in an interview with the Yediot Aharonot newspaper that Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot leaving the government harmed the efforts to return the hostages.
In the interview with journalist Nadav Eyal, Gallant explained that the military pressure exerted by the defense establishment was not translated into diplomatic achievements, partly due to changes in leadership.
"We, the defense establishment, created the conditions for the return of the hostages. This is a goal that can only be achieved when you bring military pressure. We brought the military pressure, but in practice, we brought the ends of the rope closer together, but we didn't tie the knot – because it's a diplomatic knot," said Gallant.
He noted that the diplomatic achievement was not realized more than once, and he claimed that, after the dissolution of the War Cabinet in June, the authority remained solely with the Prime Minister, without the direct influence of additional security figures.
"Unfortunately, the departure of Gantz and Eisenkot was a serious matter. Because with their departure, we lost balance. And they also didn't achieve what they entered the Cabinet for. But their decisions - those are their decisions," Gallant said.