Netanyahu prolonging Gaza war for far-right ministers, Lieberman says
Lieberman stated that Netanyahu is trying to appease Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir by continuing the aggression on the besieged Strip despite growing military consensus that the war has achieved its strategic goals.
'As long as the Chief of Staff says the operation in Gaza has fulfilled its objectives, what are we still doing there?' Lieberman asked.
His remarks follow a statement made earlier by Israeli occupation forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who indicated that the war objectives in Gaza had been exhausted, signaling a potential shift in military posture.
The growing divide between political and military leadership has added further strain to the Israeli war cabinet, where far-right influence continues to shape key decisions despite opposition from within the establishment.
Meanwhile, tensions within Netanyahu's government escalated after IOF Chief Halevi warned that expanding military operations in Gaza could jeopardize the lives of Israeli captives still held in the Strip. His caution triggered a wave of backlash from far-right ministers, including Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who have long rejected any constraints on the army's actions in Gaza.
A senior Palestinian official speaking to Al Mayadeen revealed that the issue of Israeli withdrawal continues to stall progress in the Doha negotiations. 'The withdrawal point is still unresolved, and it is directly linked to the aid mechanism, and vice versa,' the official said.
The source added that the Israeli military refuses to withdraw from several strategic areas, including Rafah, eastern Khan Younis, eastern Gaza City, and Tal al-Zaatar in the northern part of the Strip. Furthermore, the occupation insists on maintaining control over the aid entry points it has established during the conflict, a mechanism the Palestinian Resistance unequivocally rejects.
On the diplomatic front, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff held a three-hour overnight meeting with the Qatari delegation at the White House to advance discussions on a Gaza ceasefire. The talks follow a second meeting in 24 hours between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas announced on Saturday that it has completed wide-ranging consultations with fellow Palestinian factions and submitted a joint response to mediators on the latest ceasefire framework aimed at halting the Israeli occupation's war on the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued by its National Relations Office, Hamas said it held 'an extensive series of contacts' with leaders of national and Islamic factions to coordinate and agree on a single position regarding the proposal's terms and the mechanisms for implementation.
The talks, described as 'serious and practical,' produced what the movement called a 'unified national consensus' backing the stance of the Palestinian Resistance.
'All factions welcomed this unified reply,' the statement noted, adding that the response was forwarded to mediators 'in a positive spirit and with full unanimity' after both internal and external consultations were finalized.
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