The wartime cabinet is only expected to meet to discuss Hamas's new demands for a hostage deal and come to a decision late Sunday evening, according to a Saturday post on X by army radio diplomatic correspondent Yanir Cozin.
הלו"ז כרגע למחר: 18:00 קבינט מלחמה19:30 קבינט מדיני כל עוד הדיונים לא מתקיימים משלחת ישראל בראשות ראש המוסד לא תצא לקטאר.אם גנץ ואיזנקוט טוענים שמטרת הישארותם בממשלה היא השפעה על מהלכי המלחמה ובראשם שחרור החטופים, האם מריחת הזמן הזאת מקובלת עליהם? ואם לא, מדוע לא משנים אותה?
— Yanir Cozin - יניר קוזין (@yanircozin) March 16, 2024
According to the post, the small cabinet, which consists of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz, will meet at 6:00 p.m., and after an hour and a half, the meeting will extend to the larger general cabinet at 19:30.
Cozin also stated that as long as the cabinet doesn't reach an official position, the Israeli delegation for the hostage deal talks cannot travel to Qatar, where the talks are being held.
This report follows an already delayed cabinet decision. The cabinet meeting on Hamas's demands was adjourned early Friday because it was scheduled too close to the beginning of Shabbat.
After the meeting was cut short, there were mixed reports about whether the cabinet would reconvene on Saturday night or Sunday morning.
According to a report by Kan News, ministers Gallant and Eisenkot attempted to contact the Prime Minister's office multiple times over the weekend to discuss the subject further, but their requests were rejected.
השרים גלנט, גנץ ואיזנקוט פנו במהלך סוף השבוע ללשכת רה"מ בניסיון לשוחח עמו על עסקת חטופים - אך בקשתם ליצור עמו קשר נדחתה. לשכת נתניהו הגיבה על הטענות: "ניסיון לקושש כותרות" | @SuleimanMas1 עם הפרטים ב-#חדשותהשבת pic.twitter.com/QpFJrR7X3f
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 16, 2024
The Prime Minister's Office released a statement on Saturday, saying, "Prime Minister Netanyahu already announced yesterday that the War Cabinet and the Political-Security Cabinet will meet on Sunday to advise the negotiating delegation prior to its departure to Doha; therefore, the demand to convene the cabinet tonight is nothing more than an artificial attempt to garner headlines."
PMO said the update would be released on Saturday
Despite this statement, the prime minister's official X account posted on Friday evening claiming that an update on the issue would be submitted to the smaller security cabinet on Saturday, followed by the war cabinet.
The Prime Minister's Office this evening:Hamas is continuing to hold to unrealistic demands.An update on the issue will be submitted to the War Cabinet and the Security Cabinet tomorrow.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 15, 2024
Following these announcements, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant held a special meeting with senior officials in the IDF, Mossad, Shin Bet, and representatives of the hostage talk delegation in order to discuss further efforts to return the hostages from Hamas captivity, Israeli media sources reported on Saturday.