Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night reprimanded the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, during a joint conference call with some of the ministers and the members of the Israeli delegation who returned from the summit in Paris, where they discussed a hostage release deal.
According to a report by Channel 13 News’ Moriah Asraf Wolberg, Netanyahu reprimanded Barnea and the Israeli negotiating team during the call. Netanyahu said, among other things, "That's not how you negotiate, you have to be tough."
Several Israeli sources claimed that the remarks were said during a debate about the amount of humanitarian aid that Israel will allow to be brought into the Strip as part of a deal.
Other sources familiar with the negotiations told Channel 13 News that "Netanyahu put on an act in preparation for the departure of the junior-level delegation to Qatar" and added that in several discussions and conversations, including this conversation, the Prime Minister demanded as a condition for progress in the talks to know which of the hostages are still alive.
The Prime Minister's Office clarified that "the report is fundamentally incorrect."