National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked outrage after claiming that he has repeatedly blocked a potential hostage deal over the past year.
In a video posted to X, Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, admitted that he and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have used their political influence to prevent the deal from moving forward, despite ongoing efforts.
Negotiators are on the brink of agreeing a ceasefire and hostage return deal with Hamas, mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar, with the agreement reportedly accepted by Hamas this morning.
But Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have long opposed any end to the Gaza War that doesn’t result in the total disassembly of Hamas.
"In the last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from going ahead, time after time," Ben-Gvir stated in the video, calling on Smotrich to join him in urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon the agreement or risk losing their support in the coalition.
If they were to pull their backing for Netanyahu, the government could face collpase, potentially prompting yet another round of Israeli elections.
However, Ben-Gvir conceded that his ability to block the deal has weakened, following Netanyahu’s recent decision to expand the government by bringing in the New Hope party led by Gideon Sa’ar.
"Recently other actors who support the deal have joined the government and we no longer hold the balance of power," Ben-Gvir said.
The remarks have prompted an outcry from families of the hostages and from opposition politicians, who accuse him of playing politics with human lives.
Gil Dickmann, a relative of Carmel Gat, an Israeli citizen killed by her captors, condemned Ben-Gvir's comments, saying: “He is openly admitting that he stopped a deal with his own hands for political gain”.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid also condemned the National Security Minister, saying Ben-Gvir's words confirmed his long-standing allegations that the government was prioritising political interests over securing the release of hostages.
“For more than a year I have been saying that ‘they are not reaching a hostage deal for political reasons’ and everyone tells me that this cannot be, that it’s shocking, and how could I say such a thing,” Lapid wrote on X.
Ben-Gvir also claimed that the deal would be a “catastrophe”, claiming that it would not secure the release of all hostages and could lead to the deaths of many Israeli civilians.
He urged Netanyahu to take stronger actions against Hamas and ensure Israel’s security in the long-term.
