A key Israeli minister on Tuesday threatened “dismantlement of the government” if his country strikes a “reckless” deal with Hamas, underscoring the immense pressure facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he searches for a way to bring home the roughly 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group.
In a social media post, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Mr. Netanyahu’s government simply will not survive a bad deal with Hamas.
“A reckless deal = the dismantlement of the government,” the minister wrote on X.
The comments come as U.S., Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari reportedly met this week in Europe to negotiate a deal that could free the Hamas hostages in exchange for a lengthy pause in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. A potential deal would also likely include the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Hamas leaders said Tuesday they’re studying the proposal.
Hamas took about 250 hostages during its Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel. About 100 were freed during a brief cease-fire last November. More than 130 remain in captivity. Some have died while in Hamas’ custody.
Mr. Netanyahu already faced significant political pressure over the apparent security failures leading up to and during the Oct. 7 attacks. Now he is also being squeezed politically from both sides over the hostage issue, with some right-wing officials in the government warning him against striking any deal with terms favorable to Hamas.
But the Israeli leader also faces increasingly angry, vocal calls to secure the prisoners’ release.