Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen has issued a stark call for Israel to maintain its tough stance and refrain from providing water to the Gaza Strip.
In an interview with Reshet Bet, Cohen emphasized the importance of not yielding in the face of the blockade. “Do not waver in the closure, do not waver in the blockade. Introducing water into the Gaza Strip would be the first sign of weakness in Israeli policy”, Cohen asserted.
Cohen further highlighted that allowing goods to enter through the Rafah Crossing would be a misstep, underlining that civilians in Gaza had also participated in the October 7 attacks on innocent Israelis.
Yossi Cohen firmly implicated Iran, stating that the country was “100% involved” in the brutal massacre near the Gaza border.
Regarding the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, Cohen stated his opposition to direct negotiations with Hamas. However, he expressed support for various countries’ efforts to broker an agreement, potentially involving some form of compensation for Hamas.
“We are striving to secure the release of the hostages through an indirect negotiation process with Hamas, as we have done in the past”, Cohen explained, adding that international law must be upheld in the treatment of the hostages.
In another development, it was reported that Israeli intelligence agency Mossad had expressed solidarity with the decision to close down Al Jazeera’s Israeli branch. The move was purportedly due to concerns about the network’s journalists disclosing the locations of IDF forces.
The decision garnered support from key figures such as IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Foreign Ministry, and the National Security Council. While the Shin Bet took a more cautious stance, highlighting the challenges in proving the crime of incitement, it did not oppose the closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Israel.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, condemned Hamas’s propaganda on Al Jazeera, likening the group to ISIS. Adraee reiterated Israel’s determination to continue combating Hamas relentlessly.
