The Religious Zionist party on Thursday morning published a harsh response to the ceasefire-prisoner swap deal, following a party meeting headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
In the announcement, the party stressed, "Alongside the longing for the return of all the hostages, the Religious Zionist party completely opposes this deal."
"The party stands behind the demands made by its chairman, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to ensure that Israel returns to the war to destroy Hamas and bring back all of the hostages, while changing the understanding of decisiveness and victory, immediately following the end of the first stage of the deal, as a condition for the party's remaining in the government and the coalition."
On Wednesday, Smotrich warned that the deal would harm Israel's security.
"The deal that will be brought before the Cabinets a bad and dangerous for the State of Israel's national security," Smotrich stated. "Along with the joy and excitement from the return of every single hostage, the deal takes back many of the achievements of the war in which this nation's heroes sacrificed their lives and will cost us in much blood G-d forbid. We strongly oppose it."
The Minister stressed that his party would only remain in the government if Israel would fully return to the fighting after the deal concludes. "A clear condition for us to remain in the government is full certainty on the return to the war with great force, in full scale, and a new configuration, until total victory on all its components, first and foremost, the destruction of the Hamas terror organization and the return of all hostages."
Smotrich added that he is conducting intensive discussions on the issue with the Prime Minister. "Over the past two days, the Prime Minister and I have been conducting feverish discussions on the matter. He knows what the Religious Zionist Party's demands are, and the ball is in his court."