Far-right Israeli minister urges Netanyahu to end Gaza ceasefire talks

JERUSALEM, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to end Gaza ceasefire negotiations and to “wipe out” the Palestinian group Hamas.

In a post on X, Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) Party, said “reckless deals” only motivate Hamas to carry out further abductions.

“It cost us the life of a soldier last night who was killed during a kidnapping attempt,” he claimed.

The Israeli army confirmed on Wednesday that a soldier was killed and another critically injured in a failed abduction attempt by Hamas in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis.

Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu of negotiating with what he called “a murderous terrorist organization and pursuing deals that revive and strengthen it.”

He claimed that the lives of Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers “are more important than any normalization or economic interests.”

“We cannot afford to lose more soldiers in reckless deals,” Ben-Gvir said, calling on Netanyahu to issue an explicit order to “wipe out Hamas completely.”

Ben-Gvir has long opposed any prisoner exchange or cease-fire deal with Hamas and has openly called for the reoccupation of Gaza, the construction of new settlements, and the expulsion of its Palestinian population.

The opposition and families of Israeli hostages in Gaza have been pressuring the government to reach a deal to secure the release of their relatives.

Israeli estimates suggest about 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including 20 believed to be alive. Over 10,400 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, where rights groups report torture, starvation, and medical neglect that has led to multiple deaths.

On Wednesday, Hamas said that it agreed to release 10 living hostages as a sign of “flexibility” to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

US President Donald Trump said earlier his administration is "getting very close to a deal" on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel are ongoing in the Qatari capital Doha.

The Israeli army has killed nearly 57,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and the spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.