 "Israeli finance minister backs down on resignation threat over Gaza ceasefire deal")
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has withdrawn his earlier threat to leave the government if Israel does not resume fighting in Gaza, according to multiple Israeli news reports on Monday.
Smotrich had opposed a recent ceasefire deal to secure the release of nearly 100 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, arguing that it jeopardized Israeli security and hindered the country from fulfilling its war objectives.
Hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers from his nationalist-religious party resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet in protest of the ceasefire agreement.
While Smotrich did not resign, he warned that if Israel agreed to a complete cessation of the war without achieving its objectives in Gaza—specifically the total destruction of Hamas—his party, Religious Zionism, would withdraw from the coalition.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Smotrich to stay in the coalition to keep the right wing government intact and the finance minister agreed, Israel’s Yediot reported on Monday.
Under the multi-phase ceasefire deal, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released before negotiations begin to agree the release of the remaining 65 and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel is due to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal.
Some of the families believe the second stage will not be implemented and that their relatives risk being abandoned. They have staged a series of protests against the current deal.
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