“Fighting Must Go On” – Netanyahu’s Ministers Threaten to Resign Over Ceasefire Deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing pressure from within his government as two key ministers have threatened to resign if a proposed ceasefire deal is ratified. The national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has strongly opposed the agreement, calling it “irresponsible” and “reckless.” Meanwhile, the minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism, Amichai Chikli, has also vowed to step down if Israel withdraws from the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic area in Gaza.

Netanyahu is set to lead a vote on the ceasefire deal on Friday morning. Opposition leader Yair Lapid has declared his support for the agreement, stating that its importance outweighs political disagreements. Despite the ceasefire announcement, heavy fighting continues in Gaza. The civil defense agency reports that at least 80 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more injured in Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military confirmed it had targeted “approximately 50 terror sites” since late Wednesday.

A civil defense spokesperson stated that rescue teams recovered the bodies of five children following an airstrike on Jabalia, a northern city in Gaza. Ben-Gvir, in a televised statement, criticized the ceasefire, arguing that it would undo the war’s achievements by releasing Palestinian prisoners and withdrawing from key areas, leaving Hamas undefeated.

Chikli, the first member of Netanyahu’s Likud party to threaten resignation over the deal, reinforced his stance on social media. He warned that if Israel withdraws from the Philadelphi corridor before achieving its war objectives or fails to resume fighting to complete those goals, he would resign from his ministerial position.