Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen his close friend and ally, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, to head the Israeli delegation for Phase 2 of the hostage release and ceasefire negotiations, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.
The new team includes Gal Hirsch, Israeli coordinator for hostage and missing persons affairs, and a former deputy Shin Bet chief, identified only as “M.”
“We will begin negotiations for phase two of the framework for the release of the hostages, but we are also committed to Gaza’s demilitarization and will not compromise on it,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday for international media.
“There is a plan by Hamas to push to adopt the “Hezbollah” model in Gaza. Hamas will transfer civil rule to the Palestinian Authority or another group but will continue to be the dominant military force in the Gaza Strip,” Sa’ar warned.
“We demand the complete demilitarization of Gaza. Israel will not accept the continued presence of Hamas or any other terrorist groups in Gaza. And we demand an enforcement mechanism to ensure this happens,” he added.
In the upcoming Phase 2 talks, Dermer will replace Mossad chief David Barnea, who has headed the delegations up to this point. However, it is likely that Barnea will remain involved in the talks, given his connections with Qatari and Egyptian “mediators.”
Not so Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar, who is no longer officially involved in the talks, according to a separate report by Israeli public broadcaster KAN News.
Nevertheless, as with Barnea, there is a strong possibility that Bar will remain involved in the talks at some level.
Dermer, who was born in the United States, previously served as Israel’s ambassador to the US and was formerly a Republican activist with strong ties to the Trump Administration.
