Bezalel Smotrich, the Israeli finance minister, said “unequivocally” that Israel will no longer negotiate with Hamas. “There will be no more negotiations with Hamas on a deal for the release of hostages,” the minister, who leads the Religious Zionism party, said at a conference on Thursday night.
“From here on, the only possible deal is a total surrender of Hamas, the unconditional return of all our hostages, the dismantling of its armed force, the demilitarization of Gaza, the exile of the head of Hamas and to allow all those who want to leave Gaza to do so,” Smotrich said at the event, focused on the 20th anniversary since Israel pulled out of Gaza.
Smotrich’s party has opposed previous rounds of hostage deals with Hamas led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. The minister has nonetheless remained in the coalition. His remarks came as Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Middle East envoy, is in Israel, in the wake of ceasefire negotiations between the Jewish state and Hamas in Doha law week.
Netanyahu has not ruled out another deal with Hamas to free the 50 Israelis believed to remain Hamas captives, including 20 who are thought to be alive. (JNS sought comment from Netanyahu’s office.) (Read More)
