Israeli security minister resigns over Gaza ceasefire

(CLO) Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and members of his party have resigned from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect.

The Israeli government approved the deal brokered by the United States, Egypt and Qatar early Saturday, after 15 months of fierce conflict in Gaza.

Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir. Photo: CC/Wiki

The deal, signed in Doha, Qatar, includes a temporary six-week ceasefire and the release of dozens of hostages in the first phase. In return, Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli hostages to be released include civilian women, female soldiers, children, the elderly and those who are injured or sick. At the same time, the Israeli army will withdraw from major residential areas in Gaza to facilitate the return of civilians and humanitarian aid to the war zone.

The next stages of the deal have yet to be determined. “If we need to return to fighting, we will do so in new and stronger ways,” Netanyahu said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, from the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Zionist Power) party, opposed the deal, calling it a "surrender to terror". He said he would not return to government without achieving "complete victory over Hamas".

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also expressed strong opposition to the deal. The split in the Israeli government now puts Netanyahu in a difficult position as he must balance pressure to free the hostages and maintain support from the right.

After hours of delay, the Israeli military announced on Sunday afternoon that the three hostages — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari — had been picked up by the International Committee of the Red Cross and were on their way back to Israel. Videos released by the IDF showed helicopters preparing to pick up the hostages from Gaza.

However, the process hit a snag when Hamas failed to provide a list of hostages as originally agreed, raising concerns about the possibility of a breakdown in the ceasefire.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari confirmed that Israel had received the hostage list and that "the ceasefire has begun".

While waiting for the deal to take effect, the Israeli army continued to attack northern and central Gaza areas. Palestinian media reported that at least 11 people were killed and dozens more injured in the latest Israeli airstrikes.

Cao Phong (according to Newsweek, CNN, BBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bo-truong-an-ninh-israel-tu-chuc-khi-lenh-ngung-ban-o-gaza-co-hieu-luc-post331164.html