Bezalel Smotrich demands a resumption of fighting immediately after the release of the hostages, while Itamar Ben Gvir rejects any idea of withdrawing the Israeli army from key areas in Gaza.
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| Benjamin Netanyahu (L) speaks with Religious Zionist party head Bezalel Smotrich (standing) during a vote in the plenum session at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in JerusalemYonatan Sindel/Flash90 |
On the eve of a decisive meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to persuade right-wing ministers in his government to accept a new ceasefire plan with Hamas.
This proposal, which includes a 60-day truce, has generating strong internal tensions, particularly around the partial military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the management of humanitarian aid.
On Saturday, having just returned from Washington, DC, Netanyahu met with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Despite several previous telephone exchanges, this meeting aimed to defuse Smotrich's opposition, as he is fiercely hostile to any agreement he would see as abandoning the war objective of dismantling Hamas. He demands that fighting resume immediately after the hostages are released.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir shares this hardline stance and rejects any idea of the Israeli army withdrawing from key areas.
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| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben GvirOlivier Fitoussi/Flash90 |
On the Palestinian side, negotiations are stalling. A Hamas associate claims that the deadlock is due to Israel's insistence on maintaining control over 40 percent of Gaza during the truce. An Israeli official rejects this version, accusing Hamas of blocking mediator's proposal: "If they had accepted the Qatari proposal, we would already be discussing an exit from the conflict."
Another sensitive issue is the establishment of a "humanitarian city" in Rafah, estimated at costing between $2.6 and $4 billion. Some ministers accuse the army of exaggerating costs to influence strategy. Outrage has emanated from the opposition, as leader Yair Lapid denounces the "headlong rush" over the plan. "With that money, we could ease the burden on Israeli families. Netanyahu is letting Smotrich and Ben Gvir fantasize to preserve his coalition. We need to end this war and bring the hostages back."
For now, no consensus appears to be emerging, even as diplomatic and humanitarian pressure continues to mount.
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