Two sources who were present at a meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Sunday told Kan Reshet Bet that the heads of the defense establishment "were stunned" by the office's statement regarding the conditions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out for the negotiations for a hostage deal.
According to the sources, some of those at the meeting criticized the Prime Minister, who set the conditions before scheduling the meeting with them. Members of the defense establishment stated concerns that Netanyahu will prevent a deal because he fears the government will be dissolved.
The Prime Minister's Office on Sunday published Benjamin Netanyahu's red lines in the negotiations with Hamas for a hostage deal.
Netanyahu's office emphasized that "the Prime Minister's strong stance against attempts to stop the IDF's operations in Rafah is what brought Hamas to the negotiating table."
It further noted that "the Prime Minister continues to stand strongly for the principles that Israel already agreed on: 1. Any deal will allow Israel to return to fight until all the war's goals are met. 2. Weapons will not be allowed to be smuggled to Hamas from the Gaza-Egypt border. 3. Thousands of armed terrorists will not be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip. 4. Israel will maximize the number of living hostages that are freed from Hamas captivity.
"The plan that has been agreed to by Israel and which has been welcomed by President Biden will allow Israel to return hostages without infringing on the other objectives of the war." Netanyahu's office concluded.