Israeli security minister threatened with resignation at signing Gaza deal
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said in an address on January 16 that he would resign if the Gaza ceasefire agreement is implemented.
He said that if a cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave is approved, all members of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Force, a far-right faction of the Israeli government) party he heads will resign from the government.
"Otzma Yehudit under my leadership will not act together with the leftists and their goals against the government, it will not be able to be part of a government that approves a deal that is a huge reward for Hamas," state broadcaster Kan quoted him as saying.
According to the minister, the agreement will release "hundreds of murderous terrorists" and devalue all previous Israeli actions. He also noted that the draft agreement would "nullify all of Israel's achievements."
"Hamas has not yet been defeated, and we have not achieved the goals of the war," Ben-Gvir emphasized.
However, the Israeli national security minister noted that members of his party will agree to return to the cabinet if the Gaza ceasefire is renewed.
The agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza became known on January 15. It is expected to take effect on January 19. In the first phase of 42 days, 33 Israeli hostages are to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
The next day, the Israeli Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began preparations to implement the agreement. It was reported that the Department of Design and Construction and the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Checkpoints would be involved in expediting the logistics of implementing the deal.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a massive strike on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 30 Palestinians. Later, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office accused Hamas of backing out of part of the agreements and blackmail attempts. In turn, representatives of the movement said that the IDF had struck the place where one of the hostages was.
In response, the leader of the movement "Ansar Allah" Abdel Malik al-Husi said that the Houthis will continue to attack Israel until a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the entry into force of the truce. And if Israel fails to comply with the agreement, they will resume attacks again. According to him, at the moment the Palestinian issue is not solved
The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian radical movement Hamas subjected the territory of Israel to massive rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes.