Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened on Sunday to overthrow the government if it refrains from occupying the Gaza Strip, calling the recently implemented ceasefire agreement a "very serious mistake" and a "surrender to Hamas." The Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement took effect at 11:15 a.m. local time (0915 GMT) on Sunday after delays blamed on disputes over the release of captives. The agreement was originally scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m. Smotrich, a hardline member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, told Army Radio that Israel "must occupy Gaza and create a temporary military government because there is no other way to defeat Hamas." He further declared, "I will overthrow the government if it does not return to fighting in a way that [leads to us] taking over the entire Gaza Strip and governing it." Earlier, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced his party's withdrawal from the ruling coalition over the ceasefire agreement. Despite the withdrawal, the coalition remains in power, holding 62 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The ceasefire deal received mixed reactions within the Israeli government, with 24 ministers approving the agreement while eight opposed it. Since the escalation began on Oct. 7, 2023, local health authorities in Gaza report that over 47,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 110,700 others have been injured. The conflict has also left over 11,000 people missing amid massive destruction and an escalating humanitarian crisis, described as one of the most catastrophic in modern history. In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its actions in the enclave. — Agencies
