Former Israeli defense minister speaks in Sarasota ahead of expected hostage release

SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — As Israel and Hamas move forward with a ceasefire agreement and the expected release of 20 hostages, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Sarasota on Sunday to mark two years since the October 7 attack in Israel.

Gallant spoke before hundreds gathered at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee, where the organization said his visit was meant to commemorate the anniversary and offer insight into the ongoing conflict.

“When the war started on the night of October 7, I wrote down the goals of the war,” Gallant said.

The federation’s CEO called Gallant’s appearance a unique opportunity for the local Jewish community to hear directly from a key military leader who was at the center of Israel’s response to Hamas’s attacks.

“On October 7, he was sitting in the chair of the one person that had to decide what to do about the Hamas terrorists,” the CEO said.

Gallant, who served as defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explained that both leaders acted swiftly in the aftermath of the assault.

“We made two goals: first, free the hostages and continue to fight Hamas and to destroy them,” he said.

Outside the event, protesters gathered to condemn Gallant’s visit. Wilfredo Ruiz, with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, voiced concern about an arrest warrant issued for Gallant by the International Criminal Court.

“The International Criminal Court has found him to be in violation of war crimes,” Ruiz said. “What our elected officials should be sending are FBI agents to arrest him and surrender him to the International Criminal Court.”

Gallant was dismissed from his position as defense minister in November by Netanyahu, who cited “significant gaps and a crisis of trust” as reasons for his removal.