Two far-right Israeli ministers threaten to withdraw from government: Report

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Two Israeli ministers known for their extremist views against Palestinians have threatened to withdraw from the government if any deal with Hamas includes the release of Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, Israeli media reported Monday.

According to Israel’s Channel 13, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made the comments as an Israeli top security delegation headed for Qatar to participate in talks on a prisoner swap deal and cease-fire in Gaza.

The channel reported that the majority of the Israeli Cabinet agrees on a general framework for the deal, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has still not made a final decision.

It also quoted a minister who attended a Cabinet meeting as saying that all Cabinet members except for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would not object to a prisoner swap deal.

It noted, however, that there are several differences between Israel and Hamas as the Palestinian group is demanding guarantors for the deal including Russia and Türkiye in addition to Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the indirect talks, and the release of Palestinian prisoners in case of a prisoner swap.

On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet approved sending a delegation headed by Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea to Doha to discuss a possible prisoner swap deal with Hamas.

Israel believes there are 134 Israelis being held in Gaza after the Israeli army had managed on Feb. 12 to free two Israelis held in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 which killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 31,700 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in the enclave and nearly 73,800 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar