Netanyahu 'vows to continue Gaza war' after cabinet OKs truce deal

from PressTV

Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to continue the war on the Gaza Strip in a bid to stop far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich from exiting his cabinet, Israel's biggest newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reports. 

The report comes as the office of the Israeli prime minister says his cabinet voted to approve a Gaza ceasefire on Saturday after a delay which sparked fears that opposition from his coalition regime's extremist members could halt an agreement.  

According to Israeli media reports, Smotrich met Netanyahu before the approval, demanding not only guarantees that Israeli troops would return to the Gaza Strip but that Israel would retain control over the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“Without a full return to war, we will resign,” Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party and one of the staunchest opponents to a deal, reportedly said.

He felt like his demands were met following the latest meeting with Netanyahu, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

The Israeli minister previously released a statement, saying he would only remain in Netanyahu’s cabinet if he promised to resume the war following the six-week first phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Smotrich has been urged by Israel’s extremist security minister and head of the far-right Jewish Power party Itamar Ben-Gvir to support him in thwarting the agreement. 

Ben-Gvir has said he will resign if the cabinet approves the ceasefire deal...

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