ed note–pay close attention to the fact that the person with whom the Trump team met in order to glean ‘alternative’ information is someone who is for all intents and purposes one of Netanyahu’s arch-enemies, politically speaking.
Now, just for the record, we know that the lizard-faced Gallant is every bit as much a mass murderer as is Netanyahu himself, so please do not misinterpret this to suggest that Gallant is a ‘decent Jew’. He oversaw the genocide of Gentiles in Gaza and is a gangster in his own right, just as Netanyahu is, but over the issue of the hostages, obviously there is a ‘divergence’ of opinion over how the situation is to be handled, and it was enough of a ‘divergence’ that it cost the lizard-faced Gallant his job as Min. of War.
Now, for those ‘identity politics’ types who might be having a lil’ difficulty in putting all of this together, please see the ed notes attached to this news story.
Times of Israel
A close aide to US president-elect Donald Trump reached out to ex-defense minister Yoav Gallant for ‘alternative’ information about hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as Israeli officials pressed the incoming US leader to take a firm stance against the Palestinian terror group on the matter, according to a Tuesday report.
It came as Israel was waiting to hear Hamas’s response to an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire in the war that began on October 7, 2023, when the terror group led an attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 abducted to the Gaza Strip.
Trump earlier in the week warned Hamas that there would be ‘hell to pay’ if the hostages are not released by the time he takes office on January 20.
Channel 12 reported what it said were behind-the-scenes activities before Trump’s declaration.
That included a drive by Israeli officials to impress on the US president-elect the condition of the remaining 97 hostages who are still in captivity. Trump was said to be surprised when President Isaac Herzog last month told him in a phone call that half are still alive, rather than the vast majority being dead as the president-elect had previously asserted.
A close aide to Trump called Gallant, whom Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired in November, to find out what he knew about the hostages, Channel 12 reported without naming the assistant.
The network characterized the move as part of efforts by Trump’s team to get a ‘clearer picture’ of the situation from ‘alternative sources’.
Israel, meanwhile, was waiting to hear Hamas’s response to the Egyptian truce proposal. A delegation from the terror group was in Cairo and the response was expected to come sometime Wednesday.
Israel officials told the outlet that until there is a response, no Israeli delegation will head to Cairo for further mediated talks.
A senior Egyptian official, not named in the report, told the network that ‘a breakthrough is expected in the coming days.’
However, the report said that families of hostages who spoke with a senior Israeli negotiator before Trump’s announcement this week were given a less optimistic assessment.
The negotiator told them that ‘there is no significant progress in talks’ due to disagreements on a permanent end to the war, a condition that Hamas has consistently insisted on as part of any ceasefire.
The official reportedly told the families that Hamas has not agreed to a deal without an end to the war and that Israel’s negotiators do not have a mandate to agree to any compromise on the matter. Far-right elements of Netanyahu’s coalition have threatened to bolt the government if a deal is made that ends the war before Hamas is completely destroyed in Gaza.
Channel 12 noted that, unusually, there have been no leaks about progress on the talks, which may indicate that there is a real possibility of reaching a deal.
Netanyahu reportedly told a recent small gathering of ministers that complete secrecy is needed for the success of current contacts.
At a special cabinet meeting Tuesday in the northern coastal city of Nahariya, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his ‘hell to pay’ remarks on social media.
‘It is a very strong statement,’ said Netanyahu at the opening of the meeting, ‘which makes it clear that there is one party responsible for this situation — and that is Hamas. Hamas must release the hostages.’
Trump, Netanyahu continued, ‘put the emphasis in the right place — on Hamas, and not on the Israeli government, as is customary in some places.’
Protesters and some hostage families accuse Netanyahu of not doing enough to reach a deal with Hamas to get the hostages out of Gaza.