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Netanyahu's Coalition Faces Collapse Threats Over Ceasefire Agreement
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Successive threats from far-right parties appear aimed at pressuring Netanyahu to back down from the humanitarian agreement
The governing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu faced a severe shock after a major party threatened to withdraw unless the Prime Minister resumes military operations following the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement signed with Hamas on Wednesday.
The Security Cabinet postponed the agreement's voting session on Thursday, citing Hamas's last-minute amendments, which the movement categorically denied.
Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, belonging to the extreme Religious Zionist Party, stipulated in a Thursday statement that "military operations must resume to destroy Hamas and return all detainees immediately after the first phase of the agreement ends" as a condition for remaining in the government.
The extreme party did not clarify whether it demands a written commitment from Netanyahu to resume operations, while Smotrich held two meetings with the Prime Minister during the twenty-four hours preceding the agreement's announcement.
Smotrich's withdrawal from the coalition threatens to dismantle Netanyahu's government, especially with extreme National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joining the resignation threat and calling on Smotrich to join him, although neither party has enough lawmakers to topple the government independently.
The two hardline ministers together hold 14 Knesset seats, a number sufficient to overthrow the government if they follow through with their threats.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid offered Netanyahu a "protection umbrella" to preserve his government from falling, pledging his Yesh Atid party's support for the government in parliament to prevent a no-confidence vote, while linking this support to the ceasefire agreement and the possibility of withdrawing it after all detainees are released.
Levant-Agencies
