Netanyahu reportedly held secret talks with Hamas during 2014 Gaza operation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allegedly initiated secret, direct contact with Hamas during the 2014 Gaza operation, bypassing official mediation channels. The Jerusalem Post reported that Netanyahu used Israeli businessman Shlomi Fogel as an intermediary, rather than relying on traditional routes through Egypt, Qatar, or other third countries.

According to the report, Fogel communicated directly with Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official at the time. These phone conversations reportedly continued for several weeks. The alleged framework involved Netanyahu defining the main points, National Security Council head Yossi Cohen preparing messages, and Fogel conducting the actual discussions.

These alleged secret contacts occurred while the Netanyahu administration was simultaneously pursuing official negotiations in Cairo. A high-level Israeli delegation, including the then-head of Shin Bet, Yoram Cohen, was present in Cairo to engage with Hamas and other Palestinian groups through Egyptian mediators. However, these official talks reportedly failed to achieve significant progress.

Israeli security officials allegedly only later realized that Netanyahu had established a parallel communication channel while official negotiations were ongoing. Some security officials reportedly demanded an explanation from Netanyahu upon discovering this. Initially, Netanyahu allegedly denied any involvement in the secret talks and asked security officials to end them. However, it was later suggested that the contacts proceeded with his knowledge and approval.

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The secret channel's emergence caused great surprise in security institutions.