Two members of the Israeli government publicly expressed yesterday Sunday their chaotic disagreements over the eventual ceasefire agreement with Hamas, for which indirect negotiations have intensified, mediated mainly by Egypt, exerting pressure in diametrically opposite directions on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu .

In a message to Mr Netanyahu, recorded in a video he uploaded to social networking sites, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (far right) argued that such a deal would endanger Israel’s very existence and signal the end of the government, indirectly but clearly threatening to topple the ruling coalition, the most right-wing in the country’s history.

For his part, Benny Gantz (Centre), former chief of the national defense general staff, minister without portfolio in the war government formed after the October 7 attack by Hamas’ military wing in southern Israel, countered that the government would have no legalization if her ministers block the implementation of a plan to secure the release of hostages.

Diplomatic efforts have intensified in recent days and Hamas representatives are expected in Egypt today to give their response to Israel’s latest offer of indirect negotiations.

At the same time, the Israeli government says it is continuing preparations for the announced large-scale operation in Rafah, on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip, where it says the last battalions of Hamas are located, as well as about 1.5 million civilians, according to the UN, who have taken refuge there due to fighting, bombing and destruction after almost seven months of war.

“Accepting the Egyptian proposal would be a humiliating surrender,” said Mr. Smotrich, a leader of a nationalist religious party, “it would sentence the hostages to death and, moreover, it would pose an immediate existential threat to the state of Israel.”

Addressing Prime Minister Netanyahu, he added: “if you decide to raise a white flag and cancel the order to occupy Rafah immediately, that will achieve the goals of destroying Hamas, restoring security (…) to Israel and returning (the hostages their homes), the government you lead will no longer have a right to exist.”

While “entering Rafah is important” in the long term to defeat Hamas, getting the hostages back “is urgent” and “of the utmost importance”, countered Mr Gantz, who is part of the warlord government despite being his main opponent. Mr. Netanyahu, with a press release published by his party.

If ministers “block” the implementation of a “responsible plan for the return of hostages, supported by the entire defense apparatus, which does not entail the end of the war”, then “the government will no longer have the right to continue to exist and conduct the (military) campaign,” Mr Gantz added.

The attack by Hamas’ military arm in southern Israel on October 7 left 1,170 people dead, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data. Another 250 or so were kidnapped and taken to the Palestinian enclave.

According to Israeli sources, 129 of them remain in the Gaza Strip, but at least 34 are believed to be dead.

At least 34,454 people, the vast majority of them women and children, have died in the wide-ranging military operation launched by Israel in retaliation to the Palestinian enclave, vowing to wipe out Hamas, according to the Palestinian Islamist movement’s health ministry.