Israel National Security Minister Admits to Blocking Ceasefire Deals 'Time After Time' As Possible Truce Nears

Israeli National Security Minister Ben Gvir admitted to blocking ceasefire deals with Hamas to end the war in Gaza "time after time" as a possible truce nears, a local newspaper reported.

"In the last year, using our political power, we managed to prevent this deal from going ahead, time after time," Gvir said in the caption of an X post, accompanied by a video of him encouraging Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who labeled the deal a "catastrophe" on Monday, to join his efforts to stop the ceasefire.

The far-right official went on to bemoan that "additional elements have been added to the government" who support the deal, alluding to the New Hope party, a center-right political party led by Gideon Sa'ar, the Times of Israel reported. It rejoined the government in September 2024 after Sa'ar left because he wasn't appointed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli war cabinet.

"...I call on the Prime Minister to come to his senses and take steps that will lead to the defeat of Hamas and the release of our hostages without abandoning Israel's security: completely stop the transfer of humanitarian aid and fuel, electricity, and water to Gaza, along with continuing the military crushing of Hamas until its complete defeat," Gvir continued in his post.

Gvir's comments drew condemnation from the hostages' families and politicians in opposing parties.

"For more than a year I have been saying that 'they are not reaching a hostage deal for political reasons' and everyone tells me that this cannot be, that it's shocking, and how could I say such a thing," Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said in an X post, according to the Times of Israel. "And today Ben Gvir puts out a video and says to the camera, without blinking, that is the terrible truth."