Far-right Israeli minister voices strong objection to deal with Hamas

An Israeli minister on Wednesday opposed a cease-fire in Gaza and a prisoner swap deal with Hamas that is currently being negotiated.

Speaking to Army Radio, Settlements and National Projects Minister Orit Strock said approval of the deal would be tantamount to betrayal of Israeli soldiers and the country's war aims.

There are "soldiers who left everything behind and went out to fight for goals that the government defined, and we throw it in the trash to save 22 people or 33 or I don't know how many," the far-right minister said. "Such a government has no right to exist."

Her comments triggered condemnation from opposition leader Yair Lapid, who said "a government with 22 or 33 extremist coalition members has no right to exist."

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have also opposed any agreement on a full cease-fire, and continue to push for attacking the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which is home to over 1.4 million displaced Palestinians.

Israel has waged a military offensive on Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack led by Hamas, which claimed some 1,200 lives and took around 250 as hostages.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, with thousands of others injured besides causing mass destruction, displacement, disease and hunger.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to invade Rafah with or without a deal with Hamas.