Israeli National Security Minister calls on Finance Minister to resign from government
Date
1/16/2025 6:01:23 AM
(MENAFN) Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to resign from the government if a ceasefire agreement is reached in Gaza, criticizing the deal being negotiated as a surrender. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Ben-Gvir told Smotrich, "Let's inform Netanyahu that we will resign together if a deal is signed." Ben-Gvir emphasized that the deal under negotiation represented a surrender and that they alone lacked the power to stop it. Israel's channel 12 reported that Smotrich was consulting with senior rabbis regarding the prisoner swap deal. A source from Smotrich’s office stated that they would decide within hours whether to issue an ultimatum to resign if the deal proceeds.
On Monday, Smotrich described the proposed exchange as disastrous for Israel’s national security, criticizing the potential release of top terrorists and the cessation of the war. He also called for an occupation of Gaza and the return of hostages before any deal could be agreed. Despite these tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to convince Smotrich to support the prisoner swap deal have failed, with reports indicating that both Smotrich and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were opposed to ending the war through negotiations.
Meanwhile, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the first phase of the ceasefire agreement would involve the release of around 1,300 Palestinian prisoners, although the number may change depending on the fate of Israeli detainees. Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed that talks on the prisoner exchange are ongoing, with hopes for positive developments. The deputy also mentioned that US President-elect Donald Trump had requested a swap of prisoners before his inauguration on January 20. Multiple sources have confirmed significant progress in negotiations between Hamas and Israel, hosted by Doha, increasing the likelihood of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal being finalized in the coming hours.
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