Even after the announcement of the Gaza peace deal, some Israeli government ministers are unwilling to back down from their hardline stance. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has clearly stated that Hamas must be completely destroyed after the return of the hostages.
According to Arab media, Smotrich said in his latest statement that Israel must use all its power to truly eliminate Hamas and completely disarm Gaza so that this organization cannot pose any threat to Israel in the future.
"We will not rest after the release of the hostages, but will move forward with full determination to eliminate Hamas forever," Smotrich said.
Smotrich added that he would not vote in favor of a ceasefire with Hamas to end the Gaza war, because, according to him, such a ceasefire would be against Israel's national security interests.
The statement comes as Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of US President Donald Trump's proposed Gaza peace deal.
President Trump announced in his social media message yesterday that the agreement would enable the early release of all hostages, while Israel would withdraw its forces to the agreed line.
However, Smotrich's aggressive statement has reinforced the impression that there are still elements within the Israeli government who view the peace process as a temporary tactic and seek complete military dominance in Gaza.
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