Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has issued a bold ultimatum, warning he will resign from the government if it proceeds with ratifying the proposed ceasefire deal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to lead a decisive vote on the agreement Friday morning.
Ben-Gvir lambasted the deal as both “irresponsible” and “reckless,” insisting it undermines the war’s gains.
“The deal that is taking shape is a reckless deal,” he declared in a televised address, emphasizing that releasing Palestinian militants and retreating from key strategic areas in Gaza would “erase the achievements of the war” and leave Hamas undefeated.
Adding weight to the dissent, Amichai Chikli, minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, also vowed to step down if Israel relinquishes control of the Philadelphi corridor, a critical element of phase one in the ceasefire deal.
In a statement shared on X, Chikli wrote, “I hereby undertake that if, God forbid, there is a withdrawal from the Philadelphi corridor (before the war goals are achieved), or if we do not return to fighting in order to complete the war goals – I will resign from my position as a government minister.”
Chikli’s stance marks the first open defiance from within Netanyahu’s Likud party, underscoring the tensions surrounding the agreement.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Yair Lapid has taken an unexpected stand in support of the prime minister, framing the ceasefire as a crucial step.
He described the agreement as “more important than any disagreement we’ve ever had.”
Despite hopes for peace, Gaza remains engulfed in violence. Reports indicate that at least 80 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured since the ceasefire announcement.
Israeli airstrikes have reportedly targeted “approximately 50 terror targets” in Gaza, while civil defense teams have recovered the bodies of five children in Jabalia following a northern city strike.