The military censor on Thursday permitted the publication of a long-censored Israeli television report that then-Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar held direct negotiations over hostage releases with exiled Hamas leaders after the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion that continued through February 2025, when he was removed from his leading role in Israel’s negotiating team by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
At the time, an Israeli negotiating team was publicly known to be holding indirect mediated talks with Hamas via the US, Egypt, and Qatar.
The direct contacts were held with the approval of Netanyahu, the war cabinet and security cabinet, according to Channel 12 news. Such a direct channel had proved more effective in the past than negotiations via mediators, Bar reportedly noted in closed-door conversations, which is why he was astounded when Netanyahu removed him from the negotiating team.
The TV network reported that it knew of these talks in April 2025, but was barred from publishing the news by the military censor. However, it said the censor contacted Channel 12 on Thursday and invited it to resubmit the story for approval before ultimately granting permission to publish the report.
Bar resigned from the Shin Bet in June 2025; the cabinet had voted to fire him that March, but that decision was frozen by the High Court.
