Israel’s Coalition Splits Over Hamas Peace Deal

According to The Times of Israel, several ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition opposed the peace agreement with Hamas. The Otzma Yehudit party saw ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir, Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu voting against the accord. Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of Religious Zionism, joined his party colleagues Orit Strok and Ofir Sofer in opposing the deal. The stance underscores the influence of hard right factions within the government and signals deep rooted disagreements over any arrangement with Hamas. The development highlights how the political arithmetic inside the coalition can shape signals to both domestic audiences and regional partners, with the far right insisting on red lines and redrawing expectations for what any ceasefire terms should entail. As observers note, the strength of these factions often translates into visible parliamentary votes, public demonstrations of loyalty, and the framing of security policy in explicitly ideological terms, rather than purely technocratic calculations. The aftermath of the vote has left analysts and opponents parsing what this means for the practical viability of the peace process, the stability of the coalition, and the potential for future policy compromises that could appease more moderate factions without alienating the core leaders. The Times of Israel frames this as a clear split within the ruling alliance, a sign that even when a ceasefire is on the table, internal consensus remains elusive and fiercely contested within the party ranks.