JAKARTA - Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has threatened to leave the cabinet of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and an agreement to release hostages that is being negotiated in negotiations in Qatar.

Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down PM Netanyahu's government, urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a final attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous surrender to Hamas.

"This step is our only chance to prevent the implementation (of the agreement), and prevent Israel from surrendering to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldiers died in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths were not in vain," Ben-Gvir tweeted on X.

"Last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from continuing, many times," he wrote, quoted by The Times of Israel.

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.

Earlier, Smotrich said on Monday he rejected the deal but did not threaten to stop the Netanyahu coalition.

The majority of ministers are expected to support a gradual ceasefire agreement, detailing the cessation of fighting and the release of hostages.

Ben-Gvir echoed Smotrich's statement, which said on Monday, Israel should continue its military campaign in Gaza until Palestinian militant group Hamas surrendered completely, whose attack on October 7, 2023 led to war.

About 1,200 people were killed in the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and more than 250 others were held hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Meanwhile, Gaza's health authorities confirmed on Tuesday that the death toll from Palestine since the latest conflict broke out had reached 46,645 people, while 110,012 people were injured, the majority of women and children.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have mediated a ceasefire agreement and an agreement could be reached soon, officials said.

Yesterday, Palestinian militant groups Hamas and Israel had received the final draft of a ceasefire deal and exchange of hostages with detainees to end the latest 15-month conflict.


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