Netanyahu Holds Emergency Meeting With Far-Right Ministers Amid Ceasefire Talks

According to Rokna, citing Israel’s Channel 13, Netanyahu called his far-right ministers for urgent consultations as pressure for a ceasefire intensified. Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, two of the most extreme members of his cabinet, topped the list of attendees. Both have repeatedly sought to block any truce in Gaza and have conditioned their continued support for Netanyahu’s coalition on the continuation of the war.

Reacting to Trump’s peace initiative, Smotrich said:

“Halting the offensive in Gaza and engaging in negotiations without keeping Hamas under fire would be a grave mistake. This is a classic Hamas tactic to buy time.”

Ben-Gvir also declared:

“Aside from the goal of freeing the hostages—which is vital in itself—the main objective of this war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attack, is the elimination of Hamas. Therefore, as I have made clear to the Prime Minister, if Hamas still exists after all the hostages are released, my party, Otzma Yehudit, will no longer remain in the coalition.”

The emergency meeting comes as Trump stated that he has “left Netanyahu with no option other than to accept the ceasefire and the peace plan.” Meanwhile, delegations from Hamas, Israel, and the U.S. convened in Egypt to review the technical and political details of the proposed peace framework.

Analysts believe that Hamas, by conditionally agreeing to Trump’s plan, is demonstrating goodwill toward protecting the civilians of Gaza while simultaneously forcing Netanyahu to halt the bombing campaign. Netanyahu had previously opposed any ceasefire, insisting that military operations in Gaza would only stop following the release of all Israeli captives.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also commented on the ongoing talks, saying Israel is awaiting Hamas’s formal response to Trump’s proposal and warning that far-right ministers might attempt to derail the agreement.

“By the end of Saturday, you will hear threats from Smotrich and Ben-Gvir. Remember, they have nothing left to threaten with. We will not allow them to destroy this peace initiative,” Lapid said, adding that “an overwhelming majority in the Knesset and among the Israeli public support Trump’s plan. For three years you’ve spoken about the will of the people — this is what the majority truly wants.”