Itamar Ben-Gvir
Itamar Ben-GvirYonatan Sindel/Flash90

The Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, urges Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to oppose the emerging hostage deal. "The deal is a surrender to Hamas," he declared. "Our political power prevented its implementation before, but now new government supporters are in favor, so we need significant opposition to stop it."

He appealed to Minister Smotrich: "Let's join forces against this surrender deal. Our party alone can't block it. We must inform the Prime Minister that if he proceeds, we'll leave the government. Even in opposition, we won't topple him, yet cooperation is our only way to prevent this surrender and honor our soldiers' sacrifices."

Ben-Gvir criticized the deal's plans to release many terrorist prisoners, and claimed it will reintroduce threats to Israel's southern border, undoing military achievements. He stressed that the deal was not a hard decision to rescue hostages but a conscious choice risking many Israeli lives. He calls for halting humanitarian aid to Gaza and intensifying military action against Hamas.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also criticized the deal, calling it catastrophic for national security. He stated that his party won't support a deal releasing arch-terrorists, hampering war efforts, and abandoning hostages. He urged strong military action to end Hamas' control and recover all the hostages.