Israeli defence minister calls for swift hostage deal

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Sunday called for an urgent meeting of the security Cabinet after the discovery of the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip.

The Cabinet must reverse its decision to maintain control over the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, Gallant wrote on X. The decision is seen as a barrier to reaching a potential agreement with the militant Palestinian Hamas organization for the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

"It is too late for the hostages who were murdered in cold blood. We must bring back the hostages that are still being held by Hamas," Gallant wrote.

He added that Israel would settle the score with all "Hamas leaders and murderers."

The security Cabinet had voted earlier this week to keep Israeli troops stationed in the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14-kilometre stretch has been a major sticking point in the ongoing indirect negotiations with Hamas regarding a potential ceasefire.

Israel argues that several Hamas tunnels allowing for weapons smuggling between Egypt and Gaza are underneath the corridor, a claim Egypt has denied.

According to media reports, a heated exchange took place during the Cabinet meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gallant, who reportedly accused Netanyahu of prioritizing military control over the Gaza-Egypt border at the expense of efforts to free Israeli hostages.

He allegedly stated that Netanyahu’s decision might as well condemn all the hostages to death.