Itamar Ben-Gvir and his far-right party threaten to leave the government over the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to withdraw from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet if he approves a ceasefire deal with Hamas after more than 460 days of war in Gaza.
Ben-Gvir criticized the deal on Thursday evening and said his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party – also known as the Jewish Power Party – would leave the government if the ceasefire was respected.
“If this irresponsible deal is approved and implemented, the Jewish Power Party will not be part of the government and will leave it,” he said.
Ben-Gvir also said humanitarian aid as well as fuel, electricity and water must be “completely prevented” from entering the war-torn Palestinian enclave in order to force the release of captives still held by Hamas.
“Only then will Hamas release our hostages without endangering Israel’s security,” he said.
He also called on fellow far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist Party and another critic of the ceasefire, to leave the cabinet if the ceasefire is approved.
If both parties withdraw their support, Netanyahu’s coalition government would lose its majority in the Knesset.
Opposition parties, however, promised to support the prime minister as long as the ceasefire agreement moved forward, according to Israeli media.
Despite his strong remarks against the ceasefire deal, Ben-Gvir told reporters he did not intend to “overthrow” Netanyahu’s government and would consider returning if the ceasefire -the fire failed.
Netanyahu’s Likud party said in a statement that “anyone who dismantles a right-wing government will be forever disgraced.”
Likud also defended the ceasefire and said it would “maximize the number of living hostages” released while ensuring “Israel’s security for generations to come.”
Israel has killed at least 46,788 people in Gaza since October 2023 and is accused of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip in a case brought by South Africa to the International Criminal Court.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar negotiated the ceasefire agreement, the first phase of which is expected to last six weeks.
Negotiations for the second and third phases are still ongoing, although Israel does not rule out a resumption of hostilities.
