Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that there is no reason for the Israeli army to remain in the Gaza Strip and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds soldiers in Gaza “out of a desire to stay there.” Gallant’s remarks before being dismissed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were published in the Israeli press. Reports in the Israeli media stated that hours before his dismissal, Gallant told the families of Israeli prisoners that there was no justification for the Israeli army to stay in the Gaza Strip and that Netanyahu kept soldiers in Gaza “out of a desire to stay there.” It was reported that Gallant informed the prisoners’ families that Netanyahu was the only one who could decide whether to accept the prisoner agreement, and that he tried to influence him on this matter but was unsuccessful. In the news, Gallant was quoted as saying, “The Shin Bet chief, the Chief of Staff, and I believe the head of MOSSAD too, shared my views.” Reports also indicated that Gallant told Netanyahu last July that the conditions for an agreement had matured and since then he had been in disagreement with Netanyahu. In the news, it was mentioned that Gallant deemed the idea that Israel should remain in Gaza to ensure stability as an “inappropriate idea risking soldiers’ lives,” and expressed his belief that “managing Gaza would be bad for Israel.”