Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich announced tonight (Thursday) that the cabinet meeting set to approve the first phase of the hostage deal also pass a parallel decision to continue the war after that phase - and in a "different form" than before the agreement, according to Israel Hayom.
Kann reporter Michael Shemesh said that a "decisive meeting" will be taking place between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Smotrich at ten tonight.
According to sources speaking to him, Smotrich wants not only a renewal of the war and a change in how it is prosecuted but also an end to the humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Earlier today, Smotrich said that the emerging hostage deal is "bad" and "dangerous," but he did not threaten to leave the government and the coalition, which would leave Netanyahu at the mercy of the opposition to avoid elections.
Smotrich said that "the deal that will be presented to the government is a bad and dangerous deal for the national security of the State of Israel. Alongside the joy and great excitement over the return of each and every hostage, the deal takes backwards many achievements of the war in which the heroes of this nation risked their lives, and will cost us much blood, God forbid. We strongly oppose it."
Smotrich is not the only minister who believes that Israel's policy of massive humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip is mistaken, on the grounds that much of the aid is stolen by Hamas and then resold to the public, helping to keep the terrorist group alive despite the blows it suffered from the IDF.
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli also said today that "it must be honestly said: largely due to the ongoing supplies Hamas received (under immense pressure from the Biden administration), which went far beyond humanitarian needs, Hamas managed to greatly extend the duration of the fighting, maintain firm control over the Gaza population, and preserve some of its military capabilities."
0 Comments