Members of Israeli Captives’ Families Rebuke Smotrich Over Gaza Ceasefire Opposition

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Angry members of some of the families of Israeli captives still held in Gaza rebuked on Monday Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over his opposition to a ceasefire deal being shaped in Qatar between Israel and Hamas.

On Monday, the far-right minister described the deal being negotiated as a “catastrophe” for Israel’s security, adding that “it is the time to continue with full force, to conquer and cleanse the entire Gaza Strip, to finally take control of humanitarian aid from Hamas, and to open the gates of hell on Gaza until Hamas’s complete surrender and the return of all hostages.”

Dozens of members of the captives’ families squeezed into a committee room in the Israeli parliament. Some furious, some crying and pleading, they attacked Smotrich in an emotionally charged encounter that lasted for more than an hour, accusing him of abandoning the captives, according to Reuters.

“These kidnapped people can be returned,” said Ofir Angrest, whose brother Matan was taken captive on October 7, 2023.

“The conditions are ripe, it’s time for a deal, the prime minister said. How can you, the minister of finance, oppose the return of all these abductees?”

Smoteich’s remarks come as efforts to reach an agreement have been revived, with progress made and officials expressing hope of finalizing a deal.

Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have issued several threats whenever a deal is close. The two far-right ministers have threatened to quit and collapse the governing coalition if Netanyahu agrees to a Gaza ceasefire proposal.

However, this time, Smotrich did not threaten to leave the government if the deal is approved. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Smotrich to try to persuade him to support the deal, according to the public broadcaster KAN.

Qatar has handed Israel and Hamas a “final” draft of a ceasefire and prisoner release agreement designed to end the war in Gaza, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Monday.

A breakthrough was reached in Doha after midnight following talks between Israel’s spy chiefs, President-elect Trump’s Middle East envoy, and Qatar’s prime minister, the official said.

The talks come as Israel continues its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip, particularly the north of the enclave, which has been subject to a brutal siege for more than 100 days. Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Sunday that 5,000 people have been killed or are missing due to the ongoing attacks.

Israel’s assault in Gaza has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, and displaced more than 90 percent of the territory’s population from their homes, according to the UN.

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