After the Israeli cabinet approved the ceasefire in Gaza, and the agreement came into effect on Sunday morning, the Minister of Public Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, resigned from his position in opposition to the truce with Hamas.
Although the resignation does not compromise the cessation of hostilities, it does weaken the fragile coalition that supports the government.
Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist leader, urged other far-right members to leave the government coalition. If his calls are heeded, the government could lose its parliamentary majority, which would open the door to early elections.
Why does Ben-Gvir oppose the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip?
The ceasefire agreement includes sensitive measures: it will pause the war, allow the release of hostages in Gaza, and demand the release of Palestinian prisoners. Ben-Gvir strongly criticized the pact, arguing that it compromises Israel's security by including the withdrawal of troops from the border with Egypt and not eliminating Hamas' control over Gaza.
In statements prior to his resignation, Ben-Gvir described the agreement as "reckless" and assured that it "will destroy all the achievements made by Israel".
From his position as minister, he had promoted the continuation of military operations in Gaza and claimed to have stopped previous attempts to reach a ceasefire.
In the past few hours, the Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-right-wing settler, also threatened to resign if Israel does not occupy the Gaza Strip and establish a military government. He said this in an interview with the Army Radio: "There is no other way to remove Hamas from power."
Smotrich assured he will overthrow Netanyahu's government "if he does not return to the fight, in order to take control of the entire Gaza Strip and rule it."
Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir?
At 48 years old, Ben-Gvir has built a political career marked by controversy. His career includes multiple visits to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem, a sacred site for both Jews and Muslims. These visits, while legal, have been seen as provocations and have generated tensions in the delicate political and religious landscape of the region.
Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for crimes such as racism and support for a terrorist organization. In fact, the Israeli army banned him from enlisting in mandatory military service due to his extremist views. In 1995, he gained notoriety by tearing an ornament off the car of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, declaring: "We reached his car, and we will reach him too," weeks before Rabin's assassination at the hands of an extremist opposed to peace negotiations with Palestine.
Ben-Gvir’s arrival to parliament in 2021 solidified his influence as a defense lawyer for Jewish extremists. His rise also coincided with a shift towards religious ultranationalism in Israeli society.