Egypt Daily News – The Israeli Radio reported on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s conditions regarding the Gaza agreement regarding the army’s return to the war and control of humanitarian aid.
The broadcaster stated that “significant progress was made on Friday night in the talks between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Smotrich,” according to what was reported by Sky News Arabia.
It added: “Netanyahu accepted the conditions set by the minister regarding the return of the Israeli army to combat and regarding control of humanitarian aid.” It pointed out that “the message that Smotrich conveyed to Netanyahu is: Without a complete return to war, religious Zionism will leave the government.”
Israeli Government Divided
Signs of division within the Israeli extreme right-wing camp had emerged following the announcement that an agreement would soon be reached to exchange prisoners and stop the war in the Gaza Strip.
Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called on Smotrich to join him in threatening to withdraw from the government, amid doubts about the latter meeting this demand.
The Israeli Minister of Finance, who began a series of contacts and meetings with Netanyahu and a number of ministers and advisors close to him in an attempt to resolve a political crisis, on Wednesday evening, described the agreement as “bad and dangerous to Israeli national security.”
He announced that “he will not remain in the government for a single day if these conditions are not adhered to,” and added: “Now the ball is in Netanyahu’s court,” according to the Saudi Al Sharq TV channel.
Earlier, Smotrich said: “We will not be part of a surrender agreement that includes the release of terrorists and the cessation of the war.” He continued: “This is the right time to continue working with all our might to completely occupy the Gaza Strip and control humanitarian aid instead of Hamas until it surrenders completely.”
Al-Sharq TV had previously reported that if Netanyahu complied with the conditions of Smotrich and his extremist “Religious Zionism” party, he would violate the agreement concluded through Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediation.
