Former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who left the government over disagreements over the Gaza ceasefire, is returning to the coalition, the two parties said in a statement.
Ben Gvir’s return will bolster Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which was left with a slim majority after his departure in January.
Likud, Netanyahu’s party, and Ben Gvir’s nationalist-religious party, Ozma Yehudit, “have agreed to return the party and its ministers to the government,” they said in a joint statement.
Ben Gvir and two other ministers announced their departure from the government on January 19, denouncing the “scandalous” disengagement agreement that took effect that day.
Ben Gvir’s return to the government comes after Israel renewed airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing more than 400 people and bringing a fragile two-month ceasefire to the brink of collapse.
