Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir voiced Thursday opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directive to send Mossad head David Barnea to Qatar to advance a possible hostage deal.
"The continued involvement of Qatar in negotiations for the release of hostages is a serious mistake," Smotrich said. Ben Gvir, who also opposed the previous deal that saw the release of 80 Israeli women and children from captivity, added: "The dispatch of the negotiation team was not done with the consent of all Cabinet members, and therefore I oppose it.
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Itamar Ben-Gvir, Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smotrich
(Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
"I deeply regret the prime minister’s decision to approve the Mossad chief's trip for negotiations with Qatar, " Smotrich continued. "Qatar is an enemy state that supports Hamas and backs its positions in negotiations. Its goal is to prevent us from destroying Hamas. Qatar owns Al Jazeera, which severely damages Israel's global image and undermines our existential fight. Nothing good can come from its involvement, and we should reject it outright. The only way to bring the hostages home is through Hamas' surrender, achieved by continuing the military pressure our heroic soldiers are currently applying in northern Gaza."
"At this critical point in Israel's confrontation with Hamas, particularly after the elimination of Sinwar, we must not give Hamas any breathing space," Ben-Gvir added. "We should continue working toward its defeat. That is the surest and safest way to achieve victory and bring the hostages home, not through deals that will allow Hamas to regroup, rebuild its military capabilities, and harm our soldiers again."
He concluded by praising Netanyahu, the IDF, and Israel's security forces for their positive trend over the past two months. "Israel is acting aggressively and engaging the enemy on multiple fronts, and I urge them to continue this path until total victory."
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