Gaza Prisoner-Exchange Deal Splits Israeli Government as Opposition Offers Netanyahu a Safety Net
Hard-liners Ben-Gvir and Smotrich vow to block Trump-backed 60-day truce plan, while opposition pledges 23 votes to secure hostage swap.
Watan-A draft agreement for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has revealed a sharp division within the Israeli government, even as the opposition swiftly renewed its pledge to provide a “safety net” for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he decides to push the deal forward.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Israel had accepted the “necessary conditions” for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, expressing hope that Hamas would agree to the terms.
Hamas has repeatedly announced its readiness to free hostages in exchange for ending the genocide and for the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza. Yet Prime Minister Netanyahu has evaded a full deal by demanding new conditions and favoring only partial agreements that allow the war to continue.
In contrast, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—leaders of Israel’s far right—renewed their opposition to the proposal. Haaretz reported they will meet within hours to discuss a plan aimed at preventing the completion of the hostage-swap and ceasefire deal. Both have consistently rejected any ceasefire and called for re-occupying Gaza, establishing settlements, and displacing Palestinians.
Opposition figures note that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have previously helped block similar deals, though their influence this time may be limited given Trump’s backing of the plan.
In what appeared to be an indirect response to the hard-liners’ stance, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote on X:“There is a large majority within the government—and among the public—that supports the hostage-release plan. If we have the chance, we must not waste it.”
The Israeli opposition also confirmed its readiness to offer parliamentary support to Netanyahu, shielding him from a political collapse should he move ahead with the deal. Opposition leader Yair Lapid told Netanyahu on X:“For the 13 votes of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, you have 23 votes from me to guarantee a safety net for the hostage deal. We must bring everyone home now.”
Ben-Gvir’s and Smotrich’s parties hold 13 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while Lapid’s Yesh Atid commands 23 seats. With the opposition’s backing, the hard-liners cannot topple the government—at least for the duration of the agreement’s implementation.
Meanwhile, former Defense Minister and Israel Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman wrote on X:“We must bring all hostages back now.”
His statement may signal a willingness to provide Netanyahu with additional parliamentary cover, though he has not stated this explicitly.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel—with full U.S. support—has conducted a genocidal campaign in Gaza, resulting in approximately 191,000 Palestinians killed or wounded (mostly women and children), over 11,000 missing, and hundreds of thousands displaced.
