Israel’s far-right national security minister is a key member of the government coalition.
“A country where six hostages are murdered in cold blood does not negotiate with the murderers.” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (far right) spoke out Wednesday against continuing negotiations for a truce in Gaza aimed at freeing the hostages. In a post on X, this key member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government coalition, said that Israel should instead put “End talks, stop transfer of fuel and electricity” et “crush)” THE “assassins” “until they collapse.”
The statements come as the United States said on Tuesday that it was “time to finalize” a truce agreement between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, after Mr. Netanyahu refused to give in to pressure on this issue, in the eleventh month of war. Itamar Ben Gvir was referring to the deaths of six Israeli hostages killed at point-blank range, according to the Israeli army, in a tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
Philadelphia Corridor, the sticking point
Ben Gvir, as well as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a far-right politician, are staunchly opposed to ceasefire talks, insisting that continuing the war in Gaza is the only way to destroy Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by Israel, as well as by the United States and the European Union. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been taking place for months through the mediating countries — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — but no significant progress has been made so far.
One sticking point is Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that Israeli troops retain control of the Philadelphia Corridor on the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt, which Israel considers a crucial crossing point for supplying weapons to Hamas.
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