Three Israeli ministers quit in protest of Hamas ceasefire agreement
Photo: Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir (Getty Images)
The Israeli far-right party Otzma Yehudit has left the coalition in protest against the agreement with Hamas. Three ministers have resigned, The Times of Israel reports.
Ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir (National Security), Amichai Eliyahu (Heritage), and Yitzhak Wasserlauf (Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience) have submitted their resignations. By doing so, they have left the coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu.
"From this time onwards, the Otzma Yehudit party is not a member of the coalition," the party's statement reads.
The leader of Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben-Gvir, declared that the ceasefire agreement with Hamas represents a "complete victory for terrorism." In a letter to Netanyahu, he emphasized that the far-right party "does not intend to topple the government but will vote on ideological matters according to its worldview."
"We will not return to the government table without a total victory over Hamas and the complete fulfillment of the war's objectives," Ben-Gvir added.
Agreement between Israel and Hamas
Recently, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement through mediators to facilitate the release of hostages and implement a ceasefire.
The Israeli government delayed approving the agreement. Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of reneging on certain commitments. However, the Security Cabinet and later the full government approved the deal.
Today, January 19, the first hostages are expected to be released as part of the agreement. Hamas has provided the lists to Israel. According to media reports, three women will be the first to be released.
