Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
National Unity party leader Benny Gantz said at the start of his party’s faction meeting on Monday that "Israel’s interest is to secure the release of as many hostages as possible, as quickly as possible, and ideally in one phase."
"Breaking it into stages and delaying negotiations only serves Hamas," he added. "They need time to recover, restock their supplies, and recruit operatives. Our interest is to pay the heavy price once, rather than in installments with 'Hamas interest.'"
He criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that "instead of prioritizing the hostages, he is prioritizing the coalition and waiting for the budget vote in March – and we will all pay the price with interest."