Members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition are opposed to a prisoner swap deal with Hamas. Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet, is pushing for the rescue of Israeli hostages. Both sides threaten to bring down Netanyahu’s government.
Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition, oppose the deal with Hamas and the shelving of the Rafah operation. The two ministers allegedly threatened Netanyahu in meetings that they would bring down the government if there was no attack on Rafah.
Finance Minister Smotrich issued a statement confirming the claim. He said that the government headed by Netanyahu has no right to exist if it does not occupy Rafah.
In a video message posted on his social media account, Smotrich argued that the Netanyahu-led government will have no right to exist if it waves the white flag and abandons its plan to occupy Rafah.
Smotrich expressed his opposition to any deal with Hamas that would involve the return of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israel, describing such an agreement as “a humiliating surrender to the Nazis”.
The reason for Smotrich and Ben-Gvir’s outburst against Netanyahu is said to be the progress of the ceasefire.
If the parties of Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power Party, and Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism Party, withdraw from the government, the coalition that has been in power in Israel since December 2022 will fall.
Responding to Smotrich’s comments, Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said: “The Rafah incursion is important in the long-term fight against Hamas, but the return of the prisoners abandoned by the government to their homes is urgent and much more important.
Gantz said that if an agreement is reached with the support of Israel’s security services that does not require an end to the war, but ministers in the government prevent it, the government will have no right to exist.
The War Cabinet consists of 5 people (3 members and 2 observers), including Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, former Chiefs of Staff Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot.
The cabinet was formed after Netanyahu and opposition National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz agreed to form an “emergency government” on 11 October.
Gantz’s withdrawal from the war cabinet does not bring down the Israeli government, but it is said to increase international reservations about the legitimacy of the war.
