Israel's Right Wing Minister Will Against Gaza's Armistice Agreement

JAKARTA - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said his right-wing Religious Zionism party would not vote to support a Gaza ceasefire agreement that would release the hostages, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the halt to fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Israel agreed on the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza in indirect negotiations in Egypt on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli government would hold a Thursday meeting to discuss the ceasefire's first phase agreement to end the war in Gaza.

In this regard, Smotrich expressed his "mixed feelings", saying that despite the "extraordinary joy" of the delayed return of the hostages, he felt "extraordinary fear of the consequences of the emptying of prisons and the release of the next generation of terrorist leaders, who would do everything to continue to spill Jewish blood, amit-amit," quoted from The Times of Israel Oct. 9.

Therefore, he said "we cannot participate in celebratory celebrations or vote in favor of the deal."

Israel's Security Cabinet is scheduled to meet this afternoon for a briefing on the Gaza ceasefire deal, with a government plenary meeting later to vote on the deal at 18:00 local time (00:00 WIB).

It is estimated that the cabinet will reach a majority of votes in favor of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

Furthermore, Smotrich himself believes Israel must continue to fight after the hostages are released.

"It is a big responsibility to ensure that this is not an amic-amit, a "hostile" deal in exchange for the cessation of war," Hamas said, arguing that as soon as the hostages were repatriated, Israel must "continue to fight with all its might for the real eradication of Hamas and Gaza's demilitarization so that it is no longer a threat to Israel."

Smotrich also opposes the political process aimed at achieving the status of the Palestinian State or the use of international forces to secure Gaza, both of which are the main principles of the Gaza peace proposal consisting of 20 points and initiated by US President Donald Trump.

"It is a great obligation to ensure that we do not return to Oslo's path, amit-amit, and that we do not leave our security in the hands of foreign parties," he said, proud of his opposition to previous agreements "producing progress in Gaza's occupation and the application of military pressure that crippled Hamas."