An Israeli diplomatic official responded on Sunday to the criticism that has been leveled at the government for contemplating calling off an operation in the Gazan city of Rafah if a hostage release deal with Hamas were to be agreed upon.

“The preparations for entering Rafah are continuing. In any deal, if there is one, Israel will not give up the goals of the war,” said the official.

Earlier on Sunday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich blasted the Egyptian outline for a deal to release the hostages, in exchange for a ceasefire that would prevent the entry of Israeli military into Rafah.

Smotrich spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a videotaped message and said, "Mr. Prime Minister, all Egyptian mediation agreements that ended previous ‘rounds’ of violence, leaving Hamas alive and kicking and enabling it to strengthen itself again and again, and massacre Israeli citizens in a way that has not happened since the Holocaust, is exactly what you have led to in the last two decades, and that is exactly, but exactly, what we have all promised not to do again."

Smotrich’s comments came after the Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that in recent days the US and Egypt have increased the pressure on Hamas to agree to a deal to release hostages in exchange for a ceasefire, in order to prevent Israeli military entry into Rafah.

According to the report, the Egyptian mediators made it clear to Hamas that this was the best deal they could get, and if it was not met, Israel would be able to enter Rafah legally.

It was also reported that Egypt would try to arrange a phased deal so that in its first phase, hostages would be released in exchange for a ceasefire – and issues such as the cessation of hostilities or the control of Gaza on the day after, would be postponed to a second phase and be discussed later on.

Later on Sunday, National Unity Party chairman Minister Benny Gantz commented on the government’s objection to the Egyptian outline for a deal to release the hostages.

"The entry into Rafah is important in the long struggle against Hamas. The return of our hostages, abandoned by the government on Oct. 7th, is vital and of far greater importance," Gantz declared.

"If we reach a responsible outline for the return of the hostages, which is backed by all security forces, and does not involve the end of the war, and the ministers who led the government on Oct. 7th prevent it – this government will not have the right to continue to exist and lead the military campaign," he added.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of the Seventh Day of Passover in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)