Israel’s National Security Minister warns against deals to end Gaza war, prevent full-scale war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, saying his party will bolt Netanyahu’s government if war ends.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel’s National Security Minister said the IDF must confront the Hezbollah terror organization in Lebanon with a full-scale military operation, and that Israel must complete its efforts to dismantle Hamas in the Gaza Strip, warning that his party would topple the Netanyahu government if either conflict were prematurely terminated.
Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) spoke with i24NEWS Sunday evening, threatening to bolt the coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cuts a deal with Hamas to permanently end the current war in Gaza.
“We must not go for an agreement with Hamas, only wage a campaign against them. If the war stops – I will not be in the government,” Ben-Gvir said.
“How is it possible not to continue the war? Both the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister understand that it is impossible to go for a deal. We know what they want. They want to kill us because we are the Jewish state.”
“The Prime Minister knows very well that if the war stops, I will not be there. I said about Gaza, ‘If there is no war, I will not be there’, and the same is true for the north. We must have a war in the north. I am not threatening the Prime Minister. We must have a war because you do not make agreements with Nazis.”
On Monday, Ben-Gvir blasted Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (Likud) after the IDF released 55 Palestinian security prisoners, including a number of high-profile terrorists linked to Hamas.
The freed prisoners included Dr. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, the director of Shifa Hospital in Gaza who has been accused of collaborating with Hamas.
“It’s time for the Prime Minister to stop Gallant and the Shin Bet chief from conducting an independent policy contrary to the position of the Cabinet and the Government,” Ben-Gvir said.