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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ultra-Orthodox coalition partners are urging him to see the cease-fire and hostage release deal through to its end and not return to the war after the first phase is completed.
Negotiations on the second phase of the agreement are to begin next week. Netanyahu has been warned by his far-right coalition partners in the Religious Zionist Party that they would topple his government if he ended the war.
"Don't stop!" said Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur from the Shas Party said on Tuesday in a public event. "Our boys and girls are suffering there. I promise you that all six of the Party's members will support you. Bringing them back is the most sacred cause."
Shas chairmen Aryeh Deri said n Monday in a meeting of his Knesset factions that the deal must be completed in full. In a not so veiled criticizm of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir who resigned from the coalition after the cease-fire deal was signed, Deri said Shas from day one wanted to eliminate Hamas and remove its ability to rule Gaza but on the other hand, the hostages were always top of mind.
In the first deal we brought home close to 100 captives. Not everyone agreed with us and now, I understand the concerns because the prices are high, but we have to save lives," he said. "We will make every effort to bring every last one of the hostages, home. We are not busy making threats or public declarations. We are not threatening anyone."
Under the terms of the deal, Israel has already begun releasing terrorists sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Israelis and will continue to release them from Israeli prisons as more hostages are freed.
In the second phase of the deal, Israel agreed to withdraw its troops out of Gaza, effectively bringing an end to the war.
Housing Minister Yitzhak Issachar Goldknopf from the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party agreed. "I told Netanyahu that we would support any deal to bring the hostages home," he said.
Netanyahu had been accused of avoiding a deal that would end the war and potentially leave Hamas able to regain control of the Gaza Strip, under pressure from Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. The resigning minister called the cease-fire deal a catastrophe for Israel's future security.
Culture Minister Mickey Zohar from Netanyahu's Likud Party told ynet in an interview on Tuesday that completion of the deal could rely on the plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to transfer half of the population of Gaza out of the Strip and settle them temporarily in neighboring Arab countries.
"If we find a way to present a global agreement for an agreed migration, we would support it. This could lead to a break through toward the second phase of the cease-fire deal," Zohar said. "Let's be clear. Returning the hostages is our top priority but we cannot allow Hamas to remain in control in Gaza."
But you did not propose any alternatives?
"Alternatives are being considered with the U.S. and others. There is currently no "operationally realistic" option many people are sitting and thinking of solutions and we hope they find them."
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Ahead of Netanyahu's planned meeting with Trump, Zohar said he was already discussing the second phase of the deal, despite his coalition partners on the right, threatening to topple the government. "I know he is examining the security implications of the second phase," he said.
"If he finds a suitable solution acceptable for him and the defense establishment that would not harm to Israel's security and would ensure Hamas cannot rule Gaza, that could bring about a breakthrough."