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Israeli minister issues ultimatum on hostage deal, pushes for transfer of Gazans

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Netanyahu starting to warm up to idea of encouraging Arab emigration from Gaza, warns his party could bolt government if current Gaza ceasefire deal under consideration is accepted.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel’s National Security Minister warned that his party would not accept the outline for a ceasefire deal with Hamas currently under consideration, hinting that his faction would bolt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government if it were to be accepted.

Speaking with Army Radio on Sunday, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) pushed back against a new proposal, presented by an Egyptian delegation, for a limited ceasefire and hostage deal.

According to reports last week, the deal would include a two-month truce in the Gaza Strip, the release of some number – possibly several dozen – of the 101 captives still held in the Gaza Strip, and a parallel release of hundreds of jailed Palestinian Arab terrorists held by Israel.

The plan marks a significant change from prior proposals, in that Israel would not be obliged to agree to a permanent end to the war, though the new outline would provide for talks during the two-month ceasefire for a long-term cessation of fighting in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir, however, objected to the release of large numbers of jailed terrorists in exchange for only some of the remaining Israeli captives, saying the new proposal was “irrelevant” as far as he is concerned, hinting Otzma Yehudit would bolt the government should the deal be accepted.

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“I believe that a reckless deal that would release 1,000 prisoners from the Sinwar group is a severe blow to the State of Israel. Stop misleading the public; this is not even on the table as far as Hamas is concerned,” Ben-Gvir said.

“The deal currently being discussed does not bring back all the hostages. To retrieve all the hostages, the war must completely stop, and secondly, 1,000 prisoners from the Sinwar group would have to be released.”

Ben-Gvir intimated that Prime Minister Netanyahu would not agree to the deal over Otzma Yehudit’s opposition.

“I am not willing to accept the deal currently being proposed. The terms being discussed are irrelevant to me—and the Prime Minister does not want Otzma Yehudit to leave the government.”

Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir continued, “understands politics very well.”

Late last month, Ben-Gvir cast the sole vote in Israel’s security cabinet opposing the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. The ceasefire deal was passed by the security cabinet by a margin of 10-1, with the backing of Ben-Gvir’s election ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party).

In Sunday’s interview, Ben-Gvir called for long-term Israeli control of the Gaza Strip, the restoration of Jewish settlement in the area, and a policy of encouraging voluntary Arab emigration or “transfer” from the coastal enclave.

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“Ideas like the resettlement of Gaza have my blessing. The only times we defeated our enemies were when we took land from them. But for me, that’s not enough—I also want to encourage migration, for them to voluntarily emigrate to their countries.”

Ben-Gvir suggested that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who in the past has publicly opposed plans to transfer Gaza’s population, is now starting to warm to the idea of encouraging voluntary mass emigration.

“And you know what? I’m working hard with the Prime Minister to advance the encouragement of migration from Gaza—and I’m starting to see a certain openness from him on this matter.”

“I’m saying that he is showing openness to something he previously opposed, and I think the time has come to do such a thing.”