Israel’s influential, extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened on 5 October that his Jewish Power (Otzma Yehudit) party would leave the coalition government if Hamas “continues to exist” after the release of Israeli captives under the Trump ceasefire plan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power since late 2022 on the basis of his Likud Party’s coalition with Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionism party, which are committed to continuing the war, ethnically cleansing Gaza, and ideally building settlements for Jewish Israelis in the devastated strip.

After the possibility emerged this weekend that a ceasefire and prisoner exchange based on Trump’s so-called ‘peace’ plan could come into effect, Ben Gvir stated his party would not agree to a deal that would leave Hamas intact, which would be a “national defeat” and “eternal disgrace.”

Ben Gvir has threatened to leave Netanyahu’s coalition multiple times since Israel’s genocide in Gaza began in October two years ago, seeking to pressure the prime minister to continue the violence. He stepped down as National Security Minister when a ceasefire was reached in January, but rejoined Netanyahu’s cabinet in March after Israel resumed the war.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called to ensure that Hamas is dismantled.

“As long as there’s a threat emanating from Gaza against Israel security, be it Hamas or some successor organization … there isn’t going to be peace,” he claimed.

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