Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated Monday morning that the emerging agreement with Hamas is bad for Israel, without elaborating on specific objections. The statement, attributed to a political source close to Smotrich, signals continued coalition tensions over the deal's terms.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a brief, unequivocal statement Monday morning regarding the emerging Gaza agreement: 'The agreement is bad for Israel. Period.' The statement, carried by political correspondent Amit Segal (N12), did not detail specific objections, but it comes amid reported coalition deliberations over the framework being advanced by the security establishment. Smotrich, who leads the Religious Zionism party, has previously opposed any deal that he argues would grant territorial or operational concessions to Hamas without achieving the war's stated goals. The remark echoes earlier public positions by far-right coalition partners who have threatened to resign if the agreement includes a permanent ceasefire or withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor. No formal coalition crisis has been declared, and Prime Minister Netanyahu's office has not yet responded publicly. The comment is consistent with Smotrich's known stance, but as it is reported from a single political source via one journalist, the full context of the negotiations and the exact terms of the deal remain unconfirmed.
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