By Rania Abu Shamala
ISTANBUL (AA) – Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right national security minister of Israel, said on Thursday his party will quit the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal reached a day earlier is passed by the cabinet.
Addressing a press conference, Ben-Gvir, head of the Jewish Power party, said the prisoner exchange and Gaza cease-fire deal with Hamas "will undo all the achievements we have made,” describing it as "a disgrace.”
A cabinet meeting was postponed on Thursday, but the ministers are expected to back the three-phase cease-fire deal, meant to halt the fighting in Gaza and release hostages in return of Palestinian prisoners, on Friday, according to Israeli media.
Earlier this week, Ben Gvir had said the cease-fire talks were surrender to Hamas, and that if the deal passes, he will resign. He had urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to follow suit.