After the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas went into effect Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz stood in front of the cameras to summarize the Guardian of the Walls military operation. They were accompanied by Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi and Shin Bet head Nadav Argaman, who spoke immediately after.

The four men presented a united front with regard to the achievements of the Israeli defense and security forces against Hamas’ terror infrastructure and Netanyahu and Gantz heaped effusive gratitude on one another. They seemed sincere.

According to a source who had observed the two working together and spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “They succeeded in putting aside their personal rivalry and politics and showed respect for one another. There were many human, almost intimate moments between them. They were in it together and did not try to sabotage one another.”

The source noted that the two spent numerous hours together every day, saying, “Some of the meetings were just the two of them, without military secretaries. Only they know what was said in those private meetings.”