Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized his defense minister Yoav Galant on Monday and accused him of adopting an "anti-Israel narrative," revealing a deep divide at the top of the Israeli government as the Middle East risks sliding into a wide-ranging regional conflict.

Israeli media reported this week that Galant, who spoke to lawmakers in a special security briefing, dismissed Netanyahu's war aim of achieving an "absolute victory" over Hamas as "nonsense," and labeled those who claim this is achievable as "champions with war drums."

Netanyahu's office responded by saying Galant's comments jeopardize negotiations for the release of hostages held in Gaza.

The Prime Minister's office stated in a statement, "When Galant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he undermines the chances of reaching a hostage deal." The statement added that Galant was obligated to pursue the dual goals of Israel's war in Gaza: eliminating Hamas and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas following the October 7 attacks.

This thorny exchange is the latest in a series of clashes between the two men over more than 10 months of war, and comes as Israel braces for a potential attack by Iran and its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. This has prompted the United States to bolster Israel's defenses, sending a guided-missile submarine to the region over the weekend.

Iran and Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate for the killing of Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh last month, who died in an explosion in Tehran, and the top military commander of Hezbollah Fouad Shukr, who was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in a suburb of Beirut.

Iran has blamed Israel for Haniyeh's death, and a source familiar with the matter told CNN earlier that Haniyeh was killed by a bomb hidden in the guesthouse where he was staying.

Haniyeh's death, which was a key player in the ceasefire talks, threatened to disrupt negotiations to end the war in Gaza and escalate the conflict, with Iran warning that "bloody revenge" for Shukr's killing is "certain." Hezbollah also vowed that Shukr's blood "will not go in vain" and threatened to retaliate, forcing Israel to face the prospect of war on multiple fronts.

Critics have accused Netanyahu of being more interested in defeating Hamas and preserving his government than in securing the release of the hostages. Far-right members of his coalition have threatened government collapse if a deal is reached.

According to The Times of Israel, a group of hostages' families on Saturday accused the Prime Minister of "gambling" with the lives of the hostages to ensure the survival of his government.

The United States, Egypt, and Qatar—the key mediators in negotiations between the warring parties—urged Israel and Hamas to return to the negotiating table to consider a "final bridge proposal." Discussions are set to resume on Thursday in Egypt's capital Cairo or Qatar's capital Doha.

Deepening the Divide

Galant has often emphasized, emerging as one of the main interlocutors with advisors to U.S. President Joe Biden, the need for a ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu has previously called for a declaration that Israel would not impose civilian or military control over Gaza, although the Prime Minister has remained vague about his plans for the "day after" the war.

In leaked comments, Galant also claimed he proposed a preemptive strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon in October, but Netanyahu did not support the strike and missed the opportunity.

Reportedly, Galant told lawmakers, "The conditions today for a war in Lebanon are the opposite of what they were at the start of the war."

Responding to Galant's claims, Netanyahu's office refrained from blaming the failure to reach a ceasefire agreement, stating that Galant "should have attacked (Hamas leader Yahya) Sinwar, who refuses to send a delegation to negotiations and has been and remains the only obstacle to a hostage deal."

In a later post on X, Galant stated that he told the special meeting that he is "determined to achieve the goals of the war and continue fighting until Hamas is dismantled and the hostages are returned," and also criticized leaks from "sensitive and secret forums."

He affirmed that Israel faces "difficult days ahead when we will be required to stand firm and take strong offensive and defensive actions."

Galant joins a number of senior Israeli officials who have questioned Netanyahu's objective of destroying Hamas. In June, the top military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said the idea that Israel can "make Hamas disappear" is "throwing dust in people's eyes."

CNN recently reported that nearly half of Hamas's military brigades in northern and central Gaza have rebuilt some of their combat capabilities, despite ongoing Israeli attacks, according to a joint analysis with the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute and the Institute for the Study of War.