Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday rejected the agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip that is being negotiated in Doha (Qatar).
"The agreement that is taking shape is a catastrophe for the national security of the State of Israel," said the leader of the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism party, which is part of the government coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The minister made it clear that he will not be part of a “defeat agreement,” and said that now is the time to “occupy and cleanse” the entire Strip, “to take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas, and open the gates of hell in Gaza until Hamas completely surrenders and all hostages are returned,” in a message shared on social media.
His message comes amid the momentum of indirect negotiations between Israel and the Islamic terrorist group Hamas, and after reports suggested that mediators made a breakthrough last night.
Netanyahu himself met yesterday with Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (another key ultranationalist leader for the coalition) to sound out their opposition to a hostage deal.
Both ministers have expressed their opposition during the war to accepting an agreement with the Islamic terrorist group.
According to the Walla news site, Netanyahu's team believes that Ben Gvir would leave the government if Israel agrees to a deal with Hamas, so Netanyahu is trying to convince Smotrich to simply vote against the proposal, without leaving the coalition, in order to avoid early elections.
Netanyahu spoke with US President Joe Biden on Saturday about the negotiations in Qatar, after sending his negotiating team to the Qatari capital on Saturday, where the latest round of talks is taking place.
The possible agreement on the table envisages three phases in which Israeli hostages held by Hamas would be gradually released in exchange for Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli jails, and would culminate in the reconstruction of the enclave and the establishment of a new government.
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article
Handing over murderous Muslim terrorists is a vile betrayal of the Jewish People and State, it is promoting terrorism!!!
NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS IS TREASON, IT IS PROMOTING THE MURDER AND KIDNAPPING OF MORE AND MORE JEWS!!!! THE HOSTAGES MUST BE RECOVERED BY FORCE, TO RECOVER THE HOSTAGES IT IS NECESSARY TO DESTROY GAZA TO THE FOUNDATIONS, THERE ARE NO INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN GAZA, KILL THEIR LEADERS WHEREVER THEY ARE HIDING!!!!
PEACE x PEACE!!!
EYE x EYE!!!
AM ISRAEL HAI !!!
ISRAEL HAI !!!
There must be some interest in not releasing the kidnapped people.
Or does it have something to do with October 7th?
The priority is to free the hostages. All parties have powerful reasons, so it is very difficult to find a balance. It is sad that Trump has the power to force the negotiation and not the Israeli side, which is the one that suffers the most from the situation.
BEING IN THE SKIN OF THOSE WHO MUST FIGHT FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE KIDNAPPED IS THE NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK…
BUT NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISM HAS BECOME A CUSTOM THAT MUST STOP BEING PRACTICED. MAY ALMIGHTY GOD GIVE YOU WISDOM.