Two far-right Israeli ministers have threatened to resign and collapse the governing coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to a Gaza ceasefire proposal from US President Joe Biden. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are against any deal before Hamas is destroyed.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has pledged to support Netanyahu if he backs the plan. Netanyahu stated there would be no permanent truce until Hamas’s military and governing capabilities are destroyed and all hostages released. However, an adviser later described the plan as something Israel “agreed to” but did not consider a “good deal.”
Biden’s proposal includes a six-week ceasefire, IDF withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza, the release of all hostages, a permanent cessation of hostilities, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir strongly opposed the plan, with Ben-Gvir calling it “a reckless deal” and vowing to dissolve the government if it proceeds.
Netanyahu’s coalition holds a slim majority, relying on factions like Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party and Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party. Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, which holds 24 seats, offered a “safety net” for Netanyahu if the far-right ministers leave the government.
A senior foreign policy adviser said many details of the plan needed to be worked out, emphasizing there would be no permanent ceasefire until Israel’s objectives are met. Ophir Falk, in an interview, acknowledged Biden’s plan was “not a good deal” but emphasized the importance of releasing hostages.