New crisis in Israel: Shin Bet chief rejects the prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.

Israeli sources announced yesterday, Friday, May 24, 2025, that David Zini, the head of the Israeli internal security agency "Shin Bet," refuses to reach an agreement to retrieve the detainees in Gaza, describing the ongoing war in the sector as a "war of existence," in statements made during closed discussions with the General Staff. Zini's statements came at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to dismiss him and replace him with a president who supports prisoner exchange deals, amid objections from the families of the hostages who called for his appointment to be canceled, according to "Haaretz" newspaper. This coincided with Netanyahu's decision to recall the Israeli delegation from Qatar due to the stalled indirect negotiations with Hamas regarding a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal, citing Hamas's insistence on American guarantees to end the war. Meanwhile, Israeli Attorney General Galit Baharav Miara considered Zini's appointment "problematic" due to Netanyahu's conflicts of interest, and opposition leader Yair Lapid called on Zini to reject the position until the Supreme Court issues a decision. A non-governmental organization also announced that it will appeal to the Supreme Court to challenge the appointment. These developments come amid the resumption of Israeli military operations in Gaza since March 18, following a temporary halt through Egyptian-Qatari-American mediation, amidst stalled negotiations on the next phase of the agreement. Investigations and negotiations remain deadlocked, while political and security tensions escalate within Israel.