Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened on Monday to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if he ends the war in the Gaza Strip without launching an offensive on the southern city of Rafah, Anadolu news agency reports.
“If the prime minister decides to end the war without a large-scale attack on Rafah to defeat Hamas, he will not have the mandate to continue as prime minister,” wrote the far-right politician on Platform X.
Ben Gvir’s threat comes amid reports of a possible breakthrough in Israel’s indirect talks with Hamas on a prisoner exchange and cease-fire deal.
Despite global outcry over the catastrophic situation in the Palestinian enclave, the Israeli prime minister has long expressed his intention to attack Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian refugees have taken refuge.
Netanyahu rules with 64 seats in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament. The coalition he leads consists of five other parties, including two far-right parties led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, which together hold 13 seats. A majority government requires 61 seats.
