Far-Right Minister Ben-Gvir Threatens to Resign if ’Israel’ Approves Ceasefire

By Staff, Agencies

"Israel's" far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has threatened to resign from the cabinet along with his party colleagues if a ceasefire deal to end the Gaza carnage is approved.

"If this irresponsible agreement is approved and implemented, the Jewish Power party will not be part of the government and will leave it," Ben-Gvir stated during a news conference on Thursday night. However, he suggested a potential reversal if the deal collapses and the war against Hamas resumes with renewed intensity to achieve its unfulfilled objectives.

Ben-Gvir, who sits in "Israel's" cabinet alongside two other Jewish Power MPs, leads a party that holds six seats in the 120-seat Knesset. He also urged the far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, to resign, as Smotrich had described the ceasefire deal as "dangerous" for the occupying entity.

These developments have heightened tensions within Netanyahu's coalition, casting doubts on the implementation of the deal announced Wednesday. Early Friday, Netanyahu announced that an agreement to release captives had been reached, and he ordered the political-security cabinet to convene later that day.

The announcement followed a delayed vote on the agreement Thursday, with Netanyahu’s office citing a last-minute dispute with Hamas. However, Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq denied the claims, asserting that the group "is committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators."

If the ceasefire is approved, it would commence on Sunday and involve a phased truce over 42 days. The deal includes the exchange of "Israeli" captives for Palestinian prisoners and the establishment of terms for a permanent end to the war. The first phase involves releasing 33 captives, including children, women, female soldiers, men over 50, and the sick or wounded, alongside a gradual withdrawal of invading "Israeli" forces.

The ceasefire deal, mediated by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, also outlines the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners and hundreds of long-term detainees.

"Israel" initiated its devastating assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led resistance groups carried out a historic operation in retaliation for escalating "Israeli" atrocities against Palestinians. The ongoing assault has killed at least 46,788 Palestinians, predominantly women and children, and injured nearly 110,450 others in Gaza.