Israeli Minister Threatens Government Over Gaza Ceasefire

Web Desk — Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday threatened to overthrow the Netanyahu government if it did not take military control of the Gaza Strip, Anadolu news agency reported.

Smotrich opposed the Gaza ceasefire agreement, calling it a “grave mistake” and a “surrender to Hamas.”

The ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal took effect at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT) on Sunday after a delay caused by Israeli accusations that Hamas had stalled the release of a list of captives scheduled for exchange. The agreement was originally set to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT).

Speaking to Army Radio, Smotrich insisted, “Israel must occupy Gaza and create a temporary military government because there is no other way to defeat Hamas.” He further declared, “I will overthrow the government if it does not return to fighting in a way that [leads to us] taking over the entire Gaza Strip and governing it.”

Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, another far-right figure, announced his party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition in protest against the ceasefire agreement. Despite this, the coalition remains intact with 62 seats in the 120-member Knesset.

On Saturday, the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement was approved by 24 ministers in the Israeli government, while eight voted against it.

Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023—which killed 1,200 people and resulted in around 250 hostages being taken—Israel has carried out airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza, killing nearly 47,000 people. However, a report by Haaretz later revealed that Israeli army helicopters and tanks were responsible for many of the 1,139 deaths among soldiers and civilians initially attributed to the Palestinian Resistance.

The ceasefire agreement consists of three phases:

1. First Phase: A six-week ceasefire begins, Israeli forces withdraw from populated areas of Gaza, and 33 of the approximately 98 hostages are released in exchange for several Palestinian prisoners.
2. Second Phase: The remaining hostages are released, and Israeli forces fully withdraw from Gaza.
3. Final Phase: The remains of any deceased hostages are returned to their families, and a large-scale reconstruction plan for Gaza is initiated.