Far-right minister threatens to quit Israeli government over Gaza ceasefire deal

Open Editor’s Digest for free

FT editor Rula Khalaf picks her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced Thursday evening that his Jewish Power party will oust Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if it honors a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Mediators said Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had A multi-phase deal has been agreed end the 15-month war and release the 98 hostages still being held in Gaza.

However, Ben-Gvir and his ultra-nationalist ally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have repeatedly threatened to quit Netanyahu’s government if it accepts a deal that ends the war.

Ben-Gvir repeated that threat on Thursday, but said his party could return to government if it later resumed the war.

Netanyahu The government will meet on Friday to discuss ratifying a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli official, after the prime minister had previously postponed the meeting, accusing Hamas of reneging on the deal.

The departure of the Jewish government would allow Netanyahu’s coalition to have a two-seat majority in the Israeli parliament.

It would also put pressure on Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party to withdraw from Netanyahu’s government, a move likely to cost the veteran prime minister his majority.

This is a developing story