Israel's far-right minister Smotrich refuses to back Trump's Gaza truce plan

Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he opposed the Gaza ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas and will not vote in favour of a ceasefire deal with Hamas to end the war in Gaza.

"There is immense fear of the consequences of emptying the prisons and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders who will do everything to continue to pour rivers of Jewish blood here, God forbid," Smotrich said on Thursday in his personal account on X.

"For this reason alone, we cannot join in short-sighted celebrations or vote in favour of the deal," he added.

However, Smotrich stopped short of threatening to bring down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.

He also said Hamas must be destroyed following the return of hostages from Gaza.

"Immediately after the abductees return home, the state of Israel must continue to strive with all its strength to fully eradicate Hamas and completely demilitarise Gaza so that it no longer poses a threat to Israel," he said.

Truce deal

Opposition leader Yair Lapid of the centrist Yesh Atid party has said political cover will be provided so the Trump initiative can succeed and "we won't let them torpedo the deal".

The 20-point plan, first announced on Sept. 29, includes the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, the disarmament of Hamas and the rebuilding of Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 67,200 Palestinians in the enclave, most of them women and children.

The relentless bombardment has left Gaza largely uninhabitable, leading to widespread starvation and diseases.

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Source: TRT