Israel’s far-right minister rejects deal and demands end to Hamas

One of the main obstacles would be the uncertainty regarding the next steps of the agreement. For now, there is no understanding either on how Hamas would be disarmed or on the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

Smotrich stated this Thursday that the destruction of Hamas should be the next step, after the release of the hostages.

According to him, the announcement of an agreement generates “mixed emotions”. Expressing “immense joy” at the return of the hostages and thanking the soldiers for their “heroism and sacrifice”, he warned of the “dire consequences” of the release of the Palestinian prisoners, whom he described as “the future generation of terrorist leaders”.

According to Hamas, one of the conditions of the agreement is that around 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel will be released.

Smotrich stated that he could not “participate in short-sighted celebrations” or support an agreement that could “link the release of the hostages to the end of the war.”

He further insisted on the need to continue military operations “until the total elimination of Hamas and the complete disarmament of Gaza”, while calling for “not to fall back into the illusions of Oslo” or a “false sense of diplomatic security”.