Debate over prisoner exchange: Israel's international isolation and arms shortages

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaption by Yasmine Jaroudi

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off a scheduled war cabinet meeting with Mossad chief David Barnea on Sunday night.

The cancellation was justified by the need to await Hamas' response to the US proposal for a prisoner exchange deal. Disagreements among Israeli officials persist regarding how to respond to Hamas's demands, further delaying progress on the prisoner exchange.

The current deadlock revolves around the release of 700 Palestinian prisoners, including 100 serving life sentences, in exchange for 40 Israelis held by Hamas. The key sticking point is Hamas' refusal to accept any Israeli veto over the identities of what are now known as senior prisoners.

As Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived in Washington on Monday to discuss the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, particularly regarding supplying Israel with arms, alongside the prisoner swap, the Rafah issue remains a top priority.

Gallant carries a clear message: the impossibility of continued fighting and an eventual invasion of Rafah without the sustained flow of US weapons. This urgency is amplified by Italy's recent decision to halt arms sales to the Israeli Navy, adding to the international isolation and hostility Israel faces.

Simultaneously, security officials continue to warn not only against a Rafah invasion but also against the government's overall policy direction.

Israel seeks solutions to armament shortages to mitigate the significant threat posed by its growing international isolation and hostility, according to security and military officials.

Gallant's failure to convince Americans to continue arms deliveries would exacerbate Israel's security challenges.