Ben-Gvir claims Gaza talks fuel Hamas abductions of 'Israeli' soldiers

'Israeli' National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sharply criticized ongoing negotiations with Hamas following the death of an 'Israeli' soldier during a reported abduction attempt in the Gaza Strip, calling for an end to what he described as “reckless deals” and demanding a full military offensive to “crush Hamas.”

In a post on X, Ben-Gvir wrote:
"As negotiations for reckless deals intensify, so does the motivation of Hamas terrorists to carry out more abductions—and last night, this cost us the life of an IDF soldier who was killed during an attempted abduction. Prime Minister, enough negotiating with a murderous terror organization and pursuing a deal that will revive and strengthen it. The lives of our soldiers and the residents of the south are more important than any normalization or economic agreements. Give the order to crush Hamas completely. We have no soldiers to spare in reckless deals!"

ככל שגובר המשא ומתן לעסקאות מופקרות, כך גוברת המוטיבציה של מחבלי חמאס לבצע עוד חטיפות - ואמש זה עלה לנו בחייו של לוחם צה"ל שנהרג במהלך ניסיון חטיפה.

ראש הממשלה, די לשאת ולתת עם ארגון טרור רצחני ולחתור לעסקה שתחיה ותחזק אותו. החיים של הלוחמים שלנו ושל תושבי הדרום חשובים יותר מכל…

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) July 10, 2025

The comment came after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) announced Wednesday that one of its soldiers had been killed in the southern Gaza Strip during a confrontation with Palestinian fighters.

Read more: 'Israeli' soldier killed in Gaza during clash with Palestinian fighters

According to the IOF, a group of Hamas fighters emerged from a tunnel and attempted to capture the soldier, who had been operating a military bulldozer. The army said he resisted the abduction attempt and was killed in the process. The gunmen reportedly tried to drag his body away but were repelled by Israeli forces.

This incident follows a June operation claimed by Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, which said it targeted an 'Israeli' D9 bulldozer with a powerful Shawaz explosive device in Gaza.