Israeli ministers mull alliance to block Gaza ceasefire

Opposition leader promises to vote for the deal if the right-wing religious nationalists break with the government over the plan.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit party head Itamar Ben-Gvir asked Wednesday for his national religious colleague, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism) to help him stymie the newest hostage deal that is reportedly in the works.

When a source “close to Smotrich” denied receiving any request, telling the media that Ben-Gvir had “briefed the media about a meeting that has not been set,” the National Security minister sent the press a screenshot of his office’s appeal for a meeting, which had been written at approximately the same time as his notice to the press and had gone unanswered.

In the event, the source did not relate Smotrich’s opinion of the subject of such a meeting, merely stating that “The issue of victory in Gaza is too significant and the lives of the hostages are too precious to play a game of briefings in the media. The finance minister has been working on this issue with full force and seriousness for quite some time now.”

Ben-Gvir had taken his party out of the government in January to protest the second deal made with Hamas since October 7, 2023, which saw 33 Israeli hostages freed in exchange for a 42-day ceasefire, the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many with blood on their hands, and a huge amount of humanitarian aid.

Otzma Yehudit returned once the fighting resumed in early March, and the party has remained adamant that the only correct way to return the hostages is to defeat Hamas militarily so as to force them to free their captives in their defeat.

Although against that deal as well, Smotrich had kept his party in the coalition.

Other members of the government are not opposed to the deal touted as being close last week by U.S. President Donald Trump that reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire, a partial IDF withdrawal from the Strip, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and increased aid in exchange for ten living and 18 dead hostages to be freed in stages, although eight of those who are alive would be released on the first day.

“There is a large majority in the government as well as among the nation for the plan to free hostages,” Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X. “If there’s an opportunity to do it – it can’t be missed!”

Opposition head Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party notified Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through social media that he would ensure that any vote on the matter would pass.

“Netanyahu, as opposed to the 13 fingers of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, you have 23 fingers from me as a security net for a hostage deal. We need to get them all home now,” he posted to X.

Bezalel SmotrichGideon Saarhostage dealItamar Ben-GvirYair Lapid