Israel’s Smotrich Says His Party Will Quit Government Unless It’s Sure Gaza War Will Resume at ‘Full Scale’

Smotrich told Netanyahu he wants a guarantee that military operations will resume after the first phase of the ceasefire deal

On Wednesday, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slammed the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal and said his Religious Zionism party would quit the coalition government unless they were sure Israel’s genocidal war would resume at “full force.”

Smotrich wrote on X, “A clear condition for our remaining in the government is the absolute certainty of returning to war with great force, on a full scale and in a new configuration until complete victory over all its components, foremost among them the destruction of the Hamas terrorist organization and the return of all the hostages to their homes.”

According to Al Mayadeen, Israeli media reported that Smotrich had given conditions to Netanyahu for staying in the government, which included a guarantee that military operations would resume after the first phase of the truce deal, which involves a 42-day ceasefire.

The document Smotrich submitted to Netanyahu called for “increased military force in the next phase of the fighting, utilizing additional means, and significantly reducing humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Under the ceasefire deal, the details of the second and third phases will be negotiated during the first phase, which means Israel hasn’t committed to a permanent ceasefire and could potentially resume military operations after the 42-day truce.

Smotrich wrote on X, “In the last two days, the Prime Minister and I have been holding feverish conversations on the matter. He knows the detailed demands of Religious Zionism, and the ball is in his hands.”

The comments came a day after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened that his Jewish Power party would quit the government if a hostage deal is reached and called on Smotrich to join him.

If both Jewish Power and Religious Zionism quit, the coalition government would lose its majority in the Knesset, which could lead to early elections. However, the opposition, led by former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, has said it would help Netanyahu stay in power if he agreed to a ceasefire deal.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.