Reject Ceasefire, Israeli Minister Affirms His Party Will Leave Cabinet Except For War Continued

Bezalel Smotrich. (Wikimedia Commons/Yellowman4800)

JAKARTA - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opposed the ceasefire deal and the release of hostages announced Wednesday, saying it was "a bad and dangerous agreement for the security of the State of Israel."

"Together with great joy and joy at the return of everyone kidnapped, the deal reversed many war achievements" purchased at the expense of Israeli blood," he said.

"We will not be silent. The sound of blood from our brothers screams at us," Smotrich, who leads the right-wing Religious Zionism party, continued, by giving an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The clear condition for us to remain in government is the absolute certainty of returning to war" in "full-scale" until "full victory," meaning "the destruction of the Hamas terrorist organization and the return of all hostages to their homes," he stressed.

"Over the past two days, the Prime Minister and I have held intensive talks on this issue. He knows what the detailed demands of Religious Zionism and the ball are in his hands," he said.

Earlier, the Minister of National Security who is also from the right-wing group Itamar Ben-Gvirr threatened to leave the cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if an agreement with Hamas regarding Gaza was agreed upon.

Drawing the deal as a handover to Hamas, Ben-Gvir urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a final attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, revealing previous deterrence efforts.

"Last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from continuing, many times," he wrote on X.

However, he said he currently had no power to stop the deal, as PM Netanyahu expanded the coalition with the joining of the New Hope Party Gideon Sa'ar.

Ben-Gvir's statement drew criticism from family members of the hostages and opposition politicians.

"He publicly admitted to stopping the deal with his own hands for political gain," Gil Dickmann, a relative of Carmel Gat, who was murdered by his kidnappers.

"If it weren't for him, Carmel would still be alive today," he said.

Meanwhile, Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Ben Gvir's comments proved his accusations that the government had not made an agreement for political reasons.

"For more than a year I have said, 'they didn't reach a hostage-taking deal for political reasons' and everyone told me this was impossible, that it was shocking, and how could I say something like that," Lapid wrote on X.

As previously reported, Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Israel reached a three-stage ceasefire agreement on Wednesday, following months of mediation with intermediaries Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

Israel's acceptance of the deal will not be official until it is approved by the country's security cabinet and government, with a vote scheduled for Thursday, an Israeli official said.

However, the deal is expected to be approved despite opposition from some of the hardlines in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who repeated his criticism of the agreement on Wednesday.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog in a speech from his office called on the government to agree to a ceasefire deal of hostage-taking during the vote.

The President said he supported "the prime minister and the negotiating team for their efforts to reach an agreement."

The full Cabinet of Security and the cabinet, which is expected to vote on tomorrow's framework, must agree to an agreement "to bring home our sons and daughters," the president said, quoted by The Times of Israel.

"There is no higher Jewish value than bringing the prisoners back home," added President Herzog.

He further noted that many different elements in the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages were not easy for Israel, but necessary.

"This agreement - if approved and implemented - will bring very painful, challenging, and terrible moments," said President Herzog.

"I respect and deeply empathize with the fear and pain caused by this agreement," he explained.

He explained, for more than a year of fighting in Gaza, "at the expense of a lot of blood, through enormous security, diplomatic and social efforts, we have created a moment of opportunity. We have to take advantage of it."

The president noted, for the families of the hostages, "hours and days are hell on earth. I call on all of us to show extraordinary sensitivity to all the families of the prisoners - including those who were devastated by this deal. I ask to specifically embrace anxious and grieving families, who fear their loved ones will not return to the first stages of the deal."