Benjamin Netanyahu 'is a terrible man, a serial liar': Israeli media

𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐡𝐮 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐝, 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟕, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

"The Prime Minister of Israel is a terrible person. There's no choice but to say it outright. A truly awful man," Israeli newspaper Maariv's Ben Caspit said in the wake of Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks on the seventh batch of exchange of the captive agreement between "Israel" and Hamas.

On Thursday, Palestinian Resistance factions handed over the bodies of four captives in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, to the International Red Cross.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a video recording on the eve of the exchange, as the Israeli occupation readied to receive the bodies of four captives, killed throughout the war on Gaza as a result of relentless and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment, coining Thursday "a turbulent day, a day of grief."

His top officials, including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar alongside other security officials, whom Caspit blasted as "Netanyahu's attack dogs", also issued a statement crediting the exchange to Netanyahu, claiming he was able to change the negotiation team's composition, altering the dynamics of the negotiation. The allegations were relayed to an "informed source", which Caspit affirms is, in fact, Benjamin Netanyahu himself.

"This is what he chose to say, publish, and disseminate on the eve of one of the saddest days we have known here. And we have known many sad days over the past year and a half—directly due to the man who, since the October 7 massacre, has done nothing but evade blame, smear others, divide, incite, sow discord, and defame anyone or anything that might stand in his way while he flees from accountability," he added.

Caspit adds that contrary to Netanyahu’s assertions, Hamas had proposed merging two phases of the captive release weeks ago, well before the prime minister reshuffled the negotiation team. The move had nothing to do with Netanyahu’s decision to sideline Mossad chief Dedi Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar. Yet, in his version of events, the breakthrough was entirely his doing, the Israeli journalist added.

'𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐚𝐡𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞?'

Further slamming the prime minister, Caspit expanded on Netanyahu's aversion to holding accountability, saying that when military operations appear successful, he takes the spotlight—boasting about Hamas’s supposed defeat, Hezbollah’s retreat, and the reported targeting of senior militant leaders. But when setbacks arise, he quickly redirects blame, scapegoating military and intelligence officials.

"But that's Netanyahu for you. When there's credit to be claimed, it's his. When there's failure, it's someone else's," the journalist said.

Last week, Netanyahu stood before the Knesset, claiming that the captive deal was his idea, forced upon Hamas through pressure and US support. However, Netanyahu recently suggested the previous negotiation efforts were ineffective, dismissing them as mere "give and take." The inconsistency raises the question: "Which Netanyahu should the public believe?" Caspit then states.

Security officials, appointed by Netanyahu himself, have also been on the receiving end of his attacks. According to Caspit, he dictated their mandate, controlled every phase of the negotiations, and personally approved each clause of the deal. And yet, now that political expediency demands it, he is more than willing to disown their efforts.

As Netanyahu maneuvers to shape the narrative, the reality remains unchanged: lives are still at stake, and captives remain in captivity. If the prime minister is truly concerned with "give and take," perhaps he should focus less on political survival and more on those still awaiting rescue, Caspit concluded.

Read more: 𝙁𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙨𝙧𝙖𝙚𝙡𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙖𝙝𝙪'𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: 𝘼𝙗𝙪 𝙃𝙖𝙢𝙯𝙖 at https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/fate-of-israeli-captives-tied-to-netanyahu-s-actions--abu-ha