Bezalel Smotrich: We're preparing to restart the war

Finance Minister and security cabinet member Bezalel Smotrich said a short time ago today (Monday) that the government was planning to restart the war against Hamas due to the terrorist group's refusal to release the hostages.

According to Smotrich's statement:

It is forbidden to comply with any attempt by judicial authorities to deprive the government of the authority granted to it by law to dismiss or appoint the head of the Shin Bet.

Against the background of Hamas's consistent refusal to return our hostages - we are preparing to return to war in Gaza through a major offensive.

The pressure has been increasing on the Israeli government to restart the war ever since the end of phase one of the hostage deal weeks ago. So far, all efforts to get Hamas to agree to a continuation of exchanges of hostages for terrorists along the lines of phase one have ended in failure.

In every attempt at negotiation - whether by Israel, the United States, the mediators, or some combination of the three - Hamas has insisted that any further hostage releases involve a clear commitment to the second phase of the hostage deal as originally agreed upon, including an end to the war and a withdrawal of IDF forces from the Gaza Strip.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has promised that 2025 will be a "year of battles" and has even vetoed war plans for the Gaza Strip he deemed insufficiently offensive-minded, insisting that plans be rewritten with goals of "victory" and "defeating Hamas" in mind.

However, until now, the government has repeatedly allowed for more time to negotiate based on American proposals from US Envoy Steve Witkoff. If Smotrich's statement is correct, then Israel's patience with the stalled negotiations is running out, and war will soon return to the Gaza Strip.