The Israeli military censor unblocked a long-suppressed report Thursday revealing that then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar held direct negotiations over hostage releases with exiled Hamas leaders after the October 7, 2023 invasion — talks that continued until February 2025 and were, according to Channel 12, conducted with the full approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the war cabinet, and the security cabinet.
At the time, the public was told Israeli negotiators were holding only indirect, mediated talks via the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. The direct channel, Bar reportedly argued in closed-door meetings, had proved more effective in the past — which is why, Channel 12 reported, he was astounded when Netanyahu removed him from the negotiating team.
“A total lie. The prime minister refused to hold negotiations with Hamas, which were solely led by mediators,” Netanyahu’s office responded.
Channel 12 said it first learned of the talks in April 2025 but was barred from publishing by the censor. On Thursday, the censor invited the network to resubmit the story — and then granted permission. The broadcaster suggested the decision may have been a directive from the prime minister’s office, timing it to coincide with a second report published the same day alleging Netanyahu held secret contacts with Hamas via his emissary Shlomi Fogel during the 2014 Gaza war.
“Someone is trying to tell us here that if it was acceptable after October 7 to hold direct contacts with Hamas, then what was the problem with Shlomi Fogel holding contacts before October 7?” the network editorialized.
Reported by The Times of Israel, citing Channel 12 News.