The War Cabinet is meeting tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the details of the emerging deal. The Political-Security Cabinet will also meet afterwards, unusually, as it usually meets on Thursdays.
The special meeting is being held in response to the demands of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, along with other ministers from the Likud, who demand to be part not only of the final decision-making process, but also part of the negotiation process as it takes place.
According to a report by Moriah Asraf Walberg on Channel 13, Smotrich is expected to present a series of demands, according to which, as part of a deal, Israel will commit to operating in Rafah, in any situation.
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According to the report, prior to the gathering, the Israeli negotiating team conveyed a message to the Prime Minister's military secretary, Major General Avi Gil, that the discussion in the cabinet tonight was a mistake and could harm the deal that was taking shape.
The Israeli negotiating team - Mossad head Dedi Barnea, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, and Major General Nitzan Alon - requested to cancel the political cabinet discussion tonight, because, according to them, the deal has not yet been finalized and any details that leak from the discussion could seriously harm its chances of being implemented.
They claim that tonight's forum will be used solely for political steamrolling by Ben Gvir and Smotrich.
Despite the team's demand, the Prime Minister's Office decided to hold the discussion anyway.
The Shin Bet and the Mossad stated in a joint response to Channel 13 that they do not comment on what is said in closed conversations, and especially that they do not determine the cabinet's agenda.
Netanyahu's office responded: "The State of Israel is at war with many developments and daily decisions that the political echelon is required to make. Within this framework, the contents of the cabinet discussion are tailored to the sensitivity of the issues, both in operational matters and in the kidnapping deal.".
