Israel’s Security Cabinet meets, skips discussing Gaza ceasefire proposal
Netanyahu’s government faces backlash for stalling on proposed ceasefire, hostage swap as ministers skip meeting

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL
Israel’s Security Cabinet convened Tuesday without addressing a recent Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap proposal, prompting sharp criticism from opposition leaders, local media said.
Unlike its previous late-night sessions, the meeting lasted about three hours and focused only on a “general security briefing,” the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said.
According to the newspaper, the Security Cabinet will meet again Sunday to discuss military plans in Gaza.
Last week, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal put forward by Egyptian and Qatari mediators. While Israel has not responded to the proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave orders to proceed with a plan to occupy Gaza City despite warnings from Israeli military and political figures that such an offensive could endanger hostages.
In recent days, the government approved plans to occupy the remaining parts of Gaza, beginning with evacuating about 1 million residents from Gaza City before surrounding it and sending troops into neighborhoods, then moving toward refugee camps in central Gaza.
Israel’s public broadcaster KAN said five ministers skipped Tuesday’s meeting: Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
Channel 12 reported the session was moved up so ministers could attend a settler council dinner in Jerusalem.
“I don’t understand why we were summoned for this unnecessary discussion,” an unnamed cabinet minister told KAN.
He said some ministers found the meeting “boring,” with several leaving repeatedly for food outside the room.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the failure to discuss the recent Gaza swap proposal.
“Holding the cabinet without debating the hostage deal is another moral disgrace for the Oct. 7 government,” he said on the US social media platformX, referring to Netanyahu’s far-right coalition.
“There is a deal on the table that can bring the hostages home and end the war,” he added.
Tel Aviv estimates that there are 50 Israeli hostages in Gaza, including 20 alive. There are more than 10,400 Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, suffering from torture, starvation, and medical neglect, which has resulted in many deaths, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.
Israel has killed nearly 63,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, which is facing famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.