Tel Aviv [Israel], January 17 (ANI): Israel‘s cabinet has postponed a key vote on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal until Saturday, with a smaller security cabinet vote scheduled for Friday, according to a report by CNN.
As per an Israeli official, the full cabinet vote on the agreement is now expected to take place on Saturday. However, the smaller security cabinet will meet on Friday to vote on the deal.
Notably, the meeting was originally planned for Thursday.
Earlier, the leader of the opposition Yair Lapid responded to the threat made by a coalition party to quit the government if the deal is approved.
In a rough translation of a post on X, Lapid wrote, “I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don’t be afraid or intimidated, you will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal. This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.”
Israel‘s Minister of National Security and far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir strongly criticised the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, calling it “reckless.”
He said that the deal would undermine the achievements of the war and emphasised that if the deal is approved, his party, Otzma Yehudit, will quit the government.
In a rough translation of a post on X, he wrote, “The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal. It includes the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists, the return of thousands of terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip, a withdrawal from the Philadelphia axis, and a cessation of fighting, and thus the deal will effectively erase the achievements of the war.”
He added, “Not only that, it does not lead to the release of all the hostages, it leaves the fate of the remaining hostages who are not included in the deal uncertain, and it will lead to an end to the war when Hamas has not yet been defeated, with a significant ability to rebuild itself. Therefore, if this reckless deal is approved and implemented, the Otzma Yehudit party will not be part of the government and will withdraw from it.”
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes have killed 86 and injured 258 since the ceasefire deal was announced on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson from Gaza‘s Civil Defence.The daily death toll in the period immediately after the ceasefire announcement is the highest in over a week. The dead include 23 children, spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in his Thursday press release, CNN reported. (ANI)
Knesset opposition leader promises Netanyahu his support for hostage release deal
Tel Aviv [Israel], January 17 (ANI/TPS): Leader of the opposition in the Knesset Yair Lapid responded to the threat made by a coalition party to quit the government should it approve the proposed deal for the release of Israelis held hostage in Gaza by promising to support the government in this matter.
“I say to Benjamin Netanyahu, don’t be afraid or intimidated, you will get every safety net you need to make the hostage deal,” tweeted Lapid. “This is more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.”
Israel‘s National Security Minister and leader of the right-wing Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Strength) Party Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that he will resign from the government if it implements the emerging ceasefire with Hamas, which he called “reckless” in a statement.
“Not only that, it does not lead to the release of all the hostages, it seals the fate of the remaining hostages who are not included in the deal, and it will lead to the end of the war when Hamas has not yet been defeated, with a significant ability to rebuild itself,” Ben-Gvir said.
He added, “If the war on Hamas is renewed with force in order to decide and realise the unachieved goals of the war, we will return to the government.” (ANI/TPS)
Israel’s National Security Minister Ben Gvir calls ceasefire deal “reckless,” threatens to quit party from government
Tel Aviv [Israel], January 17 (ANI): Israel‘s Minister of National Security and far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir strongly criticised the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, calling it “reckless.”
He said that the deal would undermine the achievements of the war and emphasised that if the deal is approved, his party, Otzma Yehudit, will quit the government.
In a rough translation of a post on X, he wrote, “The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal. It includes the release of hundreds of murderous terrorists, the return of thousands of terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip, a withdrawal from the Philadelphia axis, and a cessation of fighting, and thus the deal will effectively erase the achievements of the war.”
He added, “Not only that, it does not lead to the release of all the hostages, it leaves the fate of the remaining hostages who are not included in the deal uncertain, and it will lead to an end to the war when Hamas has not yet been defeated, with a significant ability to rebuild itself. Therefore, if this reckless deal is approved and implemented, the Otzma Yehudit party will not be part of the government and will withdraw from it. If the war on Hamas is renewed with force in order to decide and realize the war’s unachieved goals, we will return to the government.”
He further said, “I also call on members of the Religious Zionist Party, as well as the ideological Knesset members in the Likud, to act similarly, and together with us to prevent the implementation of the reckless surrender deal.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Qatar, Egypt, and the US, in a joint statement, confirmed that Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire and hostage release deal that is likely to take effect on January 19.
The Qatar Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Wednesday, said that both parties have reached an agreement to release hostages in exchange for hostages and prisoners.
US President Joe Biden also announced the successful negotiation of a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, ending over 15 months of conflict. The deal, structured in three phases, includes a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and the release of hostages, including Americans, in the first phase.
Biden also highlighted the diplomatic effort involved, noting the pressure from Israel and US support, as well as a coalition of 20 countries that stood against attacks from the Houthis.
Following the ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu engaged in discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump and current President Joe Biden. (ANI)
