Tel Aviv: Israel’s hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with two other ministers from his ultranationalist Otzma Yehudit party, has resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet in protest against the Gaza ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

According to Arab News, Otzma Yehudit has announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition but stated it would not attempt to bring down Netanyahu’s government.

In a statement, the party criticized the ceasefire agreement as a “surrender to Hamas,” condemning the release of “hundreds of murderers” and the forfeiture of the Israeli military’s “achievements in the war.” Despite these resignations, Netanyahu’s government retains a slim majority in the Israeli parliament, ensuring the coalition’s survival and the continuation of the ceasefire.

Earlier, Ben-Gvir had warned that his party would exit the coalition if the cabinet approved the ceasefire deal, which he deemed unacceptable.

The ceasefire, which came into effect after a delay of approximately three hours, ended 15 months and 12 days of conflict. During the delay, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of 19 more Palestinians and injuries to 36 others.

According to Al Jazeera, the agreement includes the release of three Israeli captives and around 95 Palestinian prisoners on the first day. Israel confirmed the names of the three captives to be released and announced that their handover would take place after 2 PM local time. The release of four other Israeli female hostages is scheduled within seven days.

Qatar, a key mediator in the negotiations, also confirmed the ceasefire.

While the coalition remains intact, the resignations have highlighted fractures within Netanyahu’s government and added pressure on its stability as it navigates the fallout from the Gaza conflict.

Source: The COW News