Smotrich says he won’t vote in favor of Gaza deal

• Far-right 'Israeli' Finance Minister Smotrich opposes Gaza ceasefire deal.
• He said he will vote against it. 

‘Israeli’ far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he opposed the Gaza ceasefire deal reached between ‘Israel’ and Hamas on Thursday, insisting that he would vote against it.

"There is immense fear of the consequences of emptying the prisons and releasing the next generation of terrorist leaders who will do everything to continue to pour rivers of Jewish blood here, God forbid," Smotrich said on X "For this reason alone, we cannot join in short-sighted celebrations or vote in favour of the deal."

רגשות מעורבים בבוקר מורכב:

שמחה עצומה על השבת אחינו החטופים כולם!

על הזכות להיות ממובילי ההתנגדות לעסקאות חלקיות שהיו משאירות חצי מהם לפחות להינמק במנהרות האויב, והדרישה להמשיך במלחמה עד מימוש מלא מטרותיה, דרישה שהביאה להתקדמות לכיבוש עזה והפעלת הלחץ הצבאי שהביא את חמאס להתקפל.…

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) October 9, 2025

Smotrich has always been staunchly pro-offensive and previously slammed ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Netanyahu for giving the green light to Trump’s proposal in the first place.

In September, he set six red lines before Netanyahu and Trump began their meetings on the proposal.

Read more: Smotrich sets six “red lines” for Gaza plan ahead of Trump-Netanyahu meeting

The far-right minister said these lines include the full dismantling and demilitarization of Hamas and the Gaza Strip, emphasizing that 'Israel' must maintain complete military control over the perimeter, including the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, with full operational freedom throughout the territory.

He also demanded no role for the Palestinian Authority (PA) in Gaza governance, arguing that even limited involvement would amount to de facto recognition of a Palestinian state. 

Smotrich insisted that the agreement contain “not even a hint” of a Palestinian state and that the idea be entirely removed from the negotiating table.

Additionally, the minister called for no Qatari involvement in postwar Gaza, denouncing the Gulf state as “two-faced hypocrites that sponsor terror.” 

He also insisted that the Egyptian border be opened to allow Palestinians wishing to leave Gaza to do so freely, stating, “Gaza will no longer be a prison where people are held by force illegally and immorally just to harm the State of Israel.”