Netanyahu Reduces Powers of Israeli Negotiation Team

Israeli Channel 12 reported today, Saturday, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reduced the powers of the Israeli negotiation team, just ahead of the Paris talks regarding the captive prisoners' deal. The channel stated that the cabinet meeting set the number of Palestinians to be released before the Paris talks, but Netanyahu ordered it to be reduced. The Hebrew channel added that a member of the negotiation team, Lieutenant General Nitzan Alon, saw no point in traveling to Paris following Netanyahu's changes and threatened not to board the plane. Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for an intensified participation in tonight's protests demanding a prisoner swap deal with Hamas. A week ago, Lapid stated that while the prisoner swap deal is difficult, it remains possible, following his meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The Israeli opposition leader clarified that he had a "productive meeting" with Blinken in Washington on future issues related to the need to resolve the Gaza crisis "and the release of the hostages."