'Severe betrayal': Ben Gvir, Smotrich furious over ceasefire talks

Against the backdrop of the negotiations for a hostage deal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, DC, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, sharply opposed the continuation of the talks on Thursday, joined by his ally Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

"We don't have fighters to lose in reckless deals; last night it cost us a fighter's life," he said

"The more negotiations are held for reckless deals, the greater the motivation of Hamas terrorists to carry out more abductions," said Ben Gvir, referring to the IDF statement that said Master Sergeant Abraham Azulay was killed during an abduction attempt. "Prime Minister, stop negotiating with a murderous terrorist organization and striving for a deal that will revive and strengthen it."

"The lives of our soldiers and the residents of the south are more important than any normalization or economic agreements," he added.

Smotrich meanwhile canceled his schedule in favor of consultations about reports of a withdrawal from areas in Gaza during the ceasefire, and warned: "If, God forbid, the reports are true about the Prime Minister's willingness to withdraw as part of a hostage deal from areas that were conquered by our soldiers at great cost, this would be a severe betrayal of the soldiers and the families who sacrificed what is most precious to them, and a violation of the promise we made to them."

"To withdraw from areas that were conquered again and again with the blood of our fighters and to allow the enemy to enter them, arm themselves, and booby-trap them, and then to send our fighters to conquer them again, is an illogical and immoral slap in the face," he claimed. 

Ben Gvir called on Smotrich to join forces with him over the potential deal. According to Ben Gvir, this is a "dangerous concession that could harm the objectives of the war and the possibility of defeating Hamas."

A response was issued by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents the families of most of the captives. "Smotrich and Ben Gvir have forgotten what it means to be Jews, and the significance of the values of camaraderie and mutual responsibility upon which the State of Israel was founded. We have only one word for them—shame."

This condemnation of Netanyahu's trip was joined by support, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar saying Netanyahu "is on an important diplomatic mission in Washington. The Prime Minister must ignore political pressures and threats in an effort to achieve a outline for the release of the hostages, which reflects the will of the majority in the government and the people and is in line with the national interest."

Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz called on Netanyahu to not return "until there is a outline to return all the hostages. ‏Stay and press in Washington, fly to Doha - you must not miss the opportunity. ‏You have the people's back, and you will also have political backing.

‏As I said - big and important moves will not be met with petty politics."