The leaders of the Otzma Yehudit party – Itamar Ben Gvir, Yitzchak Wasserlauf, and Amichai Eliyahu – submitted letters of resignation from their positions to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday morning in the wake of their opposition to the ceasefire/hostage deal approved by the government.

Additionally, the party’s MKs, Tzvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech, and Yitzchak Kroizer, submitted letters of resignation to the coalition chair from their roles leading various committees.

Ben-Gvir told Kan News on Tuesday that the deal tells Hamas: “Abduct, murder – that’s the only way you’ll win. The deal is a disaster that paves the way for the next October 7. It could be that we are releasing the next Sinwar.”

He referred to his appeal to the chairman of the Religious Zionist party, Betzalel Smotrich, to join him, saying, “I could not convince him to resign.”

Smotrich voted against the deal but said he said that he is remaining in the government after he received several promises regarding demands he made to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, including the continuation of the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

That promise precludes any chances that Phase 2 of the ceasefire/hostage deal, which calls for a permanent ceasefire, will be carried out. Most political commentators believe there is little chance that Phase 2 will be carried out, with Channel 12’s Amit Segal stating on Sunday that at this moment, the chances are “almost non-existent.”

Netanyahu’s coalition now remains with a 63-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)