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By Lilith Foster-Collins
News Reporter
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A rift between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has highlighted the growing fractures within Netanyahu's government.
On Monday, Israeli media reported that Gallant criticized Netanyahu's repeated rhetoric about achieving "total victory" in the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
The spat comes at a critical juncture for Israel as the country braces for potential Iranian retaliation following the assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Tehran, an attack blamed on Israel.
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Gallant's remarks were reportedly made during a closed-door session with an Israeli parliamentary committee and leaked to the press.
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He expressed skepticism about Netanyahu's strategic vision, questioning what "total victory" would actually entail.
Netanyahu has frequently been criticized, including by members of his own government, for lacking clear strategic aims, a postwar plan for Gaza, or even a specific definition of what "total victory" would look like.
Netanyahu quickly responded to Gallant's comments, saying Gallant should have criticized Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar instead.
"When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage release deal," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
Attempting to downplay the discord, Gallant stated that his primary focus remains on safeguarding Israeli citizens and targeting the nation's enemies.
An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media, confirmed that Netanyahu has no immediate plans to dismiss Gallant.
Gallant remains one of the key moderate figures in the government after centrist Benny Gantz left the coalition earlier this year.
Gantz criticized the Israeli government's lack of postwar plans and said that the prime minister was not putting Israel's needs, including hostage recovery, "above political survival."
The internal rift within Netanyahu's administration comes as Israel faces the prospect of intensified conflict with Iran.
Iran and its informal Axis of Resistance coalition have vowed to inflict a vengeance that Israeli and U.S. officials now believe may be imminent.
Additionally, new ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are expected to begin later this week.
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain have signed a joint statement endorsing the latest push by mediators United States, Qatar and Egypt to broker an agreement to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war.
The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The war began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, with 1,200 Israelis killed and approximately 250 taken hostage.
The death toll is now close to 40,000 Palestinians following a devastating Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza City.
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