Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a key figure in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, came out on Wednesday against an emerging hostages-for-ceasefire agreement.
“This deal is not beneficial and does not serve the goals and interests of the State of Israel in this war—nor does it ensure the return of the hostages, as it is ultimately a partial deal,” the Religious Zionism Party leader told the Haredi radio station Kol BaRama.
Smotrich continued: “Hamas is at its weakest point since the war began. Now is the time to keep crushing and pressuring them so they return the hostages as part of their surrender, not ours. Deals in which we release hundreds of murderous terrorists who go back to killing Jews, or agreements that have us vacate northern Gaza, allowing a million Gazans to return there and erode hard-won gains, are a grave mistake.
“If we had dealt with Hamas solely through tank fire, aircraft and the heroic actions of our soldiers, the hostages would have been back long ago,” he said.
The minister further stated that Netanyahu “knows our red lines. We have significant influence over government decisions. I am proud of our ability to have substantial discussions—only a fool doesn’t change his mind. The only thing that matters to me is what’s best for Israel. Right now, that means a different deal, not one that compromises the state’s security or the return of all the hostages. It’s problematic to decide who returns and who doesn’t.”