Tel Aviv: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has issued a stark ultimatum to the Israeli government, threatening to overthrow it if the Gaza Strip is not occupied. Smotrich's comments came on Sunday, following the implementation of a ceasefire agreement with Gaza, which he described as a 'very serious mistake' and a 'surrender to Hamas.'
According to Anadolu Agency, the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement officially took effect at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915GMT) on Sunday, after a delay due to Israeli accusations against Hamas for not releasing a list of captives. The agreement, initially planned to commence at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630GMT), faced criticism from Smotrich, who advocated for military occupation as the only way to defeat Hamas. He expressed his intentions on Army Radio, stating, "I will overthrow the government if it does not return to fighting in a way that [leads to us] taking over the entire Gaza Strip and governing it."
Further political turmoil was evident as far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced his party's withdrawal from the ruling coalition following the ceasefire agreement. Despite this withdrawal, the coalition remains in power with 62 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
The Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement were approved by 24 government ministers, while eight opposed it. The ongoing conflict, described as genocidal by local health authorities, has resulted in the deaths of nearly 47,000 people, most of whom are women and children, with over 110,700 others injured since October 7, 2023. The humanitarian crisis has led to more than 11,000 people missing and widespread destruction across Gaza.
In a significant development, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its actions in the enclave.