When the war ends, I will leave the government

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against dissolving the government if he agrees to an end to the war in the Gaza Strip or a political solution.

Speaking to i24NEWS on Sunday evening, the minister said: “We must not seek an agreement with Hamas, but only wage a campaign against them. When the war ends, I will not be in the government.”

The far-right politician then spoke about Hamas, saying: “We understand their intentions. They want our destruction because we are the Jewish state.”

Ben-Gvir also said: “The prime minister understands very well that my presence depends on an ongoing conflict. I have stated with regard to Gaza: ‘If there is no conflict, I am gone’, and the same applies to the north. The conflict must continue in the north. This is not a threat to the prime minister; it is a necessity, because you do not negotiate with Nazis.”

The minister was commenting on the US attempt to push forward the recent hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.

New formula

The administration of US President Joe Biden has put forward a new proposal that focuses on amending Clause 8 of the Hostage Ceasefire Agreement, which concerns the terms of the hostage exchange and ceasefire.

This part of the agreement concerns the negotiations that are to begin during the implementation of the first phase of the agreement between Israel and Hamas to determine the precise terms of the second phase of the agreement, which includes the establishment of a lasting calm in Gaza.

According to reports, in the first phase of the agreement, Hamas only wants to discuss how many and which Palestinian prisoners should be released in exchange for the living male hostages. Israel, on the other hand, also wants to discuss the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, among other things.

Sources had previously told Israeli and American media that US officials had reworded Clause 8 of the proposed hostage-taking and ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in an effort to reach an agreement. They are working with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to persuade Hamas to accept the new proposal.

According to a Channel 12 news report, US efforts to revive the hostage-taking ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are currently focused on a single word in Clause 8 of the Israeli proposal.

Senior Israeli sources said the current focus of US efforts is on Clause 8 of the ceasefire proposal, which deals with negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the first phase of the agreement, which will set the terms for the next phase.

According to the television report, Clause 8 states: “No later than the 16th day (of the first phase), indirect negotiations between both sides must begin to agree on the terms for the implementation of the second phase of this agreement, including the conditions related to the keys for the exchange of hostages and prisoners (soldiers and remaining men).”

The report states that the US has proposed using the word “only” instead of “including”. This is intended to make it clear that only the so-called keys for the exchange of hostages and security prisoners are being negotiated, but not other conditions.

The aim of the idea is to persuade Hamas to accept the proposal.

No change

Last Sunday, Netanyahu said that regarding the sacred mission to free our hostages, “there is no change in Israel’s position on the release plans welcomed by President Biden.”

“Today everyone knows a simple truth,” the prime minister said: “Hamas is the only obstacle to the release of our hostages.”

He noted that “a combination of political and military pressure – and above all military pressure” would bring all 120 hostages back from Gaza.

The Prime Minister added: “I repeat: there is no substitute for victory. Our warriors did not die in vain. We will not end the war until we have achieved all our goals.”

Hamas believes that Netanyahu is buying time because he hopes that Donald Trump will be elected US president next November.

A Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement is aware of Israel’s strategy and seeks “a clear agreement that will end the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip once and for all.”

“Everything is negotiable and can be agreed upon. There are no major disagreements,” the source said. “But there are two points on which no compromise can be made: a clear commitment to a ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, including Rafah and the Rafah crossing.”