National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reject the hostage agreement that the US supports in a post on X/Twitter on Saturday evening.
Withdraw from the “surrender framework,” Ben-Gvir wrote in his address to Netanyahu, referring to the US-backed hostage deal proposal and “return to a framework of decisive victory.
“The only path to decisive victory and the secure return of our hostages is the full conquest of the Gaza Strip, a complete halt to so-called ‘humanitarian aid,’ and the encouragement of emigration,” he added.
Ben-Gvir said that the true goal of the war is the collapse of Hamas and that the deal proposed would distance Israel from this goal, as well as “reward terrorism.”
Allowing large quantities of aid into Gaza would lead to the “resuscitation of Hamas,” he also said.
Ben-Gvir, Smotrich consistently oppose end to fighting
Ben-Gvir previously announced that he would not allow Hamas to continue ruling Gaza, even in exchange for the expansion of the Abraham Accords.
“It is time to stop the slogging in the [Gaza] Strip and strive for a quick resolution regarding Hamas, which is the ultimate goal of the war,” he said.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday sharply criticized a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza. He said that this was a “grave mistake” that would benefit the terrorist group Hamas.
Smotrich also accused Netanyahu of failing to ensure that the IDF was following government directives in the Israel-Hamas War. He said he was considering his “next steps” but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the coalition.
Smotrich’s comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to hold talks in Washington with US President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.
“The cabinet and the prime minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,” Smotrich said on X, arguing that the aid would ultimately reach the Islamist group and serve as “logistical support for the enemy during wartime.”
The government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Local media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The military declined to comment.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own terrorists or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly half a million people into famine within months, according to UN estimates.