Smotrich warns against debate over ceasefire spiralling into ‘civil war’
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a staunch opponent of the ceasefire deal, has issued a new statement on its implications for Israeli society.
“We are in the midst of fateful days, facing a heart-wrenching dilemma between the desire to see all the hostages return to us and the fear of the heavy price of the deal and its implications for Israel’s future,” Smotrich wrote in a post on X. “I firmly believe that most of the public rejects attempts to turn this debate into a civil war of hatred and division.”
“We must remember that both supporters and opponents of the deal want to see the hostages back home and to preserve Israel’s security,” he added.
Later today, Israel’s cabinet is expected to formally vote on the deal. Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party is weighing resigning from the government in opposition, reports Ynet News.
Israelis protest against ceasefire in West Jerusalem
People stand next to coffins draped with Israeli flags as they protest against a ceasefire in West Jerusalem on Thursday
Israelis demonstrate against the ceasefire that they say will weaken security
‘First stage of ceasefire deal is guaranteed’: Ex-Israeli official
Alon Liel, former director-general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, believes the Israeli cabinet will vote in favour of the ceasefire deal despite threats from far-right parties to abandon Netanyahu’s coalition over it.
“Netanyahu has a clear majority in the cabinet … The first stage of the deal is guaranteed,” Liel told Al Jazeera. However, Netanyahu’s hesitancy regarding the deal reflects his concern over the potential weakening of his coalition, he added.
While Netanyahu could maintain his coalition without far-right members Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, “he will become more dependent on moderate members of parliament”.
Liel noted that the second stage of the ceasefire deal – intended to bring a permanent end to the war – is far less certain. “In 42 days, who knows what the region will look like,” he said.
Truce deal ‘backtrack’ on Israel over troop withdrawal made ‘last minute’
Luciano Zaccara, from the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University, says the one thing that US President Joe Biden has gotten right about Israel’s war on Gaza is the fact a military victory is not possible.
“He said that Israel needed to make a ceasefire deal to end the war and there’s only a political way to resolve this, not a military solution. This shows that even though Hamas is weakened it will never be absolutely eliminated,” said Zaccara.
He expressed surprise that the Netanyahu government accepted truce terms with a troop withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor – the 14km (8.7-mile) long strip of land representing the border area between Gaza and Egypt.
That agreement now appears to be in jeopardy with Israeli leaders indicating they won’t pull out of the border region. “If Netanyahu keeps insisting the military presence is needed there, then the backtrack on the deal is not on the Hamas side, it’s the Israeli side that changed last minute,” Zaccara told Al Jazeera.
Israel’s spy chief, negotiators still in Doha nailing down truce details
Israel’s Mossad chief David Barnea and other negotiators remain in the Qatari capital “finalising the details” of the announced ceasefire deal, The Times of Israel reports.
Despite Qatar and the United States declaring a deal has been reached, Israel’s cabinet has yet to vote on it and Israel’s prime minister’s office has alleged “last-minute attempts at blackmail by Hamas”.
It accused Hamas of backtracking on some of the ceasefire’s provisions – a claim rejected by Hamas.
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