Two far-right Israeli ministers have threatened to resign and topple Benjamin Netanyahu’s already precarious government if he accepts the Gaza ceasefire proposal unveiled by Joe Biden on Friday.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich both said they did not want Israel to make a deal before Hamas was completely destroyed.
But in a surprising twist, opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would support the government if Netanyahu wanted to go through with the plan.
Biden unveiled the three-part proposal, which, if signed by Hamas and Israel, would begin with a six-week ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of the IDF from populated areas of the Gaza Strip.
The deal would also lead to the eventual release of all hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, a permanent “cessation of hostilities” and a full reconstruction of Gaza, much of which has been destroyed by the war.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (pictured, left) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (pictured, right) both said they did not want Israel to make a deal
Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) has apparently poured cold water on Biden’s plan
Joe Biden (photo) unveiled the proposals on Friday
The deal infuriated Smotrich, who in April called for the “total destruction” of the Gaza Strip and said in a message to destroy. and returning all abductees.
“We will not agree to the end of the war before the destruction of Hamas, nor to any serious damage to the achievements of the war so far by the withdrawal of the IDF and the return of Gazans to the north of the Gaza Strip, nor leading to the wholesale release of terrorists who, God forbid, will return to murder Jews.
“We demand the continuation of the fighting until the destruction of Hamas and the return of all abductees, the creation of a completely different security reality in Gaza and Lebanon, the return of all residents to their homes in the north and south and a massive act of terror . investments in the accelerated development of these areas of the country.’
Ben-Gvir followed suit, calling the deal “a victory for terrorism.”
He said of X: ‘This is a promiscuous deal, which is a victory for terrorism and a security risk for the State of Israel. Agreeing to such a deal is not absolute victory, but absolute defeat.
Israeli mounted police try to disperse a demonstration of relatives and supporters of Israelis being held hostage by Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza
A woman dressed in an Israeli national flag holds a fake torch during a demonstration by relatives and supporters of Israelis being held hostage by Palestinian Hamas militants
‘We will not allow the end of the war without the complete elimination of Hamas.
“If the prime minister implements the promiscuous deal under the terms published today, which mean the end of the war and the renunciation of Hamas, Otzma Yehudit will dissolve the government.”
Lapid, meanwhile, said the two ministers’ threats to resign “neglect national security, the kidnapped and the residents of the north and south.”
“This is the worst and most promiscuous government in the history of the country. For them there will be a war here forever, zero responsibility, zero management, a complete failure,” he said on X.
He also told Netanyahu that he had “our safety net for a hostage situation if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich left the government.”
As Netanyahu faces an internal battle for control of his government and his country, as thousands took to the streets to protest the Israeli leader over his inability to get the hostages back home, he is also forced to become more and more opponents from the Israeli government. world stage.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric said Saturday that his country is joining South Africa in its case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of “genocide” in the war against Hamas.
Smoke rises near a makeshift camp for displaced Palestinians in the Tel al-Sultan area of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 30, 2024
Smoke rises after the Israeli bombardment of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 31, 2024
Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli attack that left displaced people in Rafah, Gaza Strip
In his speech to the National Congress, Boric denounced the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza and called for “a strong response from the international community.”
“Chile will become a party to and support the case filed by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice in The Hague,” Boric said.
The ICJ is investigating South Africa’s case, but in the meantime has introduced “interim measures” ordering Israel to do everything it can to prevent genocide during its campaign against Hamas.
The UN’s highest court last month ordered Israel to halt military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where displaced Palestinians are seeking protection from Israel’s military offensive.
Before the Rafah offensive began, the United Nations said 1.4 million people were sheltering in the city.
Since then, a million people have fled the area, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said.
Chile has recognized Palestine as a state since 2011, and Boric has previously said the war in Gaza has “no justification” and is “unacceptable.”
The Gaza war was sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,189 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures.
Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 who the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed at least 36,379 people, mostly civilians, according to Israel’s Health Ministry.