JERUSALEM: On Sunday, two Israeli ministers voiced their public opposition to a truce in Gaza, arguing that Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration lacked legitimacy if it was unable to conquer Rafah.
As the government had intended when it invaded Gaza, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz demanded that Hamas be annihilated.
Smotrich wrote on X, addressing the premier, “The government headed by you will have no right to exist if you decide to raise a white flag and cancel the plan to occupy Rafah aimed at destroying Hamas in order to restore security to Israel.”
“The Egyptian agreement is a despicable capitulation… Above all, it poses an urgent existential threat to the state of Israel and sentences the captives to death. The former minister of defense and army leader, Gantz, advocated for the invasion of Rafah.
In a party statement, he stated, “Entering Rafah is important in the long struggle against Hamas.”
“The government will not have the right to exist if a responsible plan for the return of hostages, supported by the entire defense establishment and not requiring ending the war, is accomplished and the ministers who led the government on October 7th prevent it.”
A ground invasion of Rafah is being opposed by increasing numbers of people, and diplomatic efforts to achieve a truce and prisoner-release agreement in Gaza have sharpened.
Although Netanyahu is under intense pressure from both local and international quarters to reach an agreement to release Israeli prisoners, he has pledged to send troops into Rafah, where over 1.5 million civilians have sought safety.
Israel’s most recent approach included a desire to talk about the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza following the release of hostages, according to the Axios news website, which cited two Israeli sources.
According to Axios, Israeli leaders have indicated for the first time in the almost seven-month conflict that they are amenable to talking about a settlement.
