JERUSALEM – A rift within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition has emerged as a key obstacle in efforts to end the Gaza war — threatening to derail US President Donald Trump’s push to reshape the Middle East through his 20-point Gaza peace proposal.
Under growing pressure from Washington to end the two-year-long conflict, Netanyahu now faces backlash from ultra-nationalist allies, whose hardline opposition to Trump’s plan could plunge Israel into early elections, a full year before the current term expires in October 2026.
Trump’s proposal — endorsed by Netanyahu — calls for Gaza’s complete demilitarisation, the exclusion of Hamas from governance, but allows its members to remain in political life if they renounce violence and surrender arms.
Far-Right Fury Over Hamas ‘Survival Clause’
Hamas responded with a conditional acceptance, expressing readiness to negotiate the release of hostages and to participate in a “Palestinian national framework” for Gaza’s post-war future.
But this nuance — that Hamas could still have any form of political existence — infuriated Netanyahu’s far-right allies. “We cannot agree under any circumstances to a scenario in which the terrorist organisation that brought the greatest calamity upon Israel is revived,”
declared National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatening to quit the coalition.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed the sentiment, warning that pausing operations in Gaza would be a “grave mistake” that might weaken Israel’s military and political leverage.
Together, Ben-Gvir and Smotrich control 13 seats in the 120-member Knesset, and their withdrawal could collapse Israel’s most right-wing government in history.
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Hostage Families, Arab States and Trump Pressure
Netanyahu now faces a delicate balancing act: appeasing hardliners without alienating hostage families and international allies calling for restraint.
A continued Gaza offensive risks deepening Israel’s diplomatic isolation and could shatter prospects of normalisation with major Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, both of which have linked any engagement to an end to the war and recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Trump, who has made expanding the Abraham Accords a cornerstone of his Middle East strategy, has called for Israel to halt its bombardment to allow indirect Israel-Hamas talks in Egypt for a comprehensive prisoner exchange.
Yet Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian insisted on Sunday there was “no ceasefire in place,” confirming that operations in Gaza were continuing “for defensive purposes.”
Israeli strikes over the weekend reportedly killed dozens of Palestinians, even as diplomatic efforts intensified.
Netanyahu’s Tightrope
Netanyahu has framed his endorsement of Trump’s plan as a “joint strategic effort” aligning with Israel’s goals:
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The surrender of Hamas,
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Israel’s security control over Gaza, and
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The region’s long-term stability.
However, with internal divisions deepening, any further concession to Washington could fracture Netanyahu’s fragile coalition and trigger a political crisis — even as the war drags on and international patience wears thin.