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Netanyahu faces backlash from far-right over Gaza aid and war strategy
On Sunday, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich severely denounced a cabinet decision to allow some aid into Gaza, calling it a 'grave mistake' that will favour the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of neglecting to guarantee that Israel's military follows government directions while fighting Hamas in Gaza. He stated that he was pondering his 'next steps' but did not outright threaten to leave the coalition.
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Smotrich's remarks came only a day before Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in Washington to discuss a US-backed plan for a 60-day Gaza truce.
'… the cabinet and the Prime Minister made a grave mistake yesterday in approving the entry of aid through a route that also benefits Hamas,' Smotrich said on X, arguing that the aid would ultimately reach the Islamist group and serve as 'logistical support for the enemy during wartime'.
The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
The prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The military declined to comment.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to U.N. estimates.
Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped aid from entering north Gaza.
Pressure
Public pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal.
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Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire in his criticism of Netanyahu.
The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority, although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.
The war erupted when Hamas attacked southern Israel in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's retaliatory war in Gaza has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health ministry.
Most of Gaza's population has been displaced by the war, a humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and much of the territory lies in ruins.
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