Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has strongly condemned emerging reports of a potential ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, calling it "a historic missed opportunity" to deal with Hezbollah once and for all.
"This is more than just a mistake - it's a critical error in judgment," Ben Gvir said today (Monday). "Our commanders on the ground and local officials are telling us Hezbollah is on the ropes and desperate for a ceasefire. Now is not the time to ease up." He urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to reconsider, warning, "It's not too late to stop this deal."
Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz took a more nuanced position, focusing on the terms of any potential agreement. "While we have existing UN frameworks to work with, any deal must guarantee our military complete operational freedom," Gantz emphasized. "We need the ability to respond to both immediate threats and prevent Hezbollah's rearmament. There's no going back to the previous unstable situation."
The debate has exposed deeper political divisions, with opposition member Gilad Kariv drawing parallel implications for Gaza. "If we can reach an arrangement with Hezbollah without demanding total victory, surely we can pursue a similar path in Gaza," Kariv argued, accusing Netanyahu of "sacrificing the hostages' freedom for political gains."
The controversy comes as U.S. mediators intensify efforts to stabilize Israel's northern border, after Israel responded to Hezbollah's year-long rocket barrages with a ground invasion of its own.
Walla! contributed to this article.