Amid internal and international pressure to end the conflict in Israel’s North and the emerging settlement between Israel and Lebanon, some Israeli political leaders expressed their opposition to the upcoming agreement, which, among other things, strives to pressure Hamas to return the remaining 101 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip by the Gaza-based terrorist organization.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the move on Monday, calling it a “grave mistake” and a “historic missed opportunity” to eliminate the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
Ben-Gvir stressed that “we need to listen to field commanders and local leaders” and added that at this stage, “with Hezbollah battered and eager for a ceasefire, we must not stop.” According to him, the anticipated measures regarding Lebanon will harm efforts to fight the terrorist organization.
Likud members are also criticizing Netanyahu for his intention to sign the agreement, arguing that the prime minister attempts to appease the public and the UN Security Council, but that will not ensure Hezbollah will stop attacking Israel’s north.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “No agreement. If signed, it will be worth the paper it’s written on. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’ve dismantled them, and we’ll continue dismantling them.”
Likud MK Dan Illouz expressed his opposition to the agreement. According to him, the agreement, as reported, provides Hezbollah with significant advantages and could harm Israel’s security. In a post on X/Twitter, Illouz wrote, “Instead of leveraging the organization’s weakness after two months of severe blows, the emerging agreement grants Hezbollah strategic achievements and endangers Israel’s security.”
Concerns over Lebanon deal
He expressed concern that the agreement relies on international monitoring mechanisms, which he said have proven weak and ineffective in the past. Illouz also emphasized the risk this agreement poses to northern residents, who are expected “to live under the shadow of Hezbollah’s threats.”
Illouz’s opposition joins concerns raised by other Likud figures about the agreement, including MK Amit Halevi, who told Maariv, “The reported settlement raises serious questions—what exactly are we settling? It seems like we are legitimizing Hezbollah’s status in Lebanon, its continued control of the parliament and government, and the implementation of the Ayatollah’s Shiite vision with the strongest military power left in Lebanon. This is a moment of truth. Israel must not settle for anything less than the removal of Hezbollah from Lebanon and the liberation of the Lebanese people from the captivity of the murderous Iranian regime. Otherwise, our children will face a future 7/10 scenario with a fully armed political and military Shiite terror state.”
Likud MK Moshe Saada also expressed opposition to the emerging agreement, “The Israeli government has no mandate from the people to surrender to the murderous organization and leave this threat to the citizens as it stands. Hezbollah must be dismantled and defeated, not conceded to or signed into deals that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Past experience shows that every surrender and Israeli retreat only invites the next round of fighting and constitutes a gamble with Israeli citizens’ security. Therefore, only the continued destruction of Hezbollah will bring northern residents back to their homes and remove the rocket threat over the rest of the country.”
Another Likud MK, Eliyahu Revivo, wrote, “We’re heading for another 18 years of misguided strategy!” Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter said: “If the agreement with Lebanon is a ‘copy-paste’ of Resolution 1701—I won’t support it.”
Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli also expressed concerns about the nearing agreement. In a post, Chikli outlined the conditions he believes must be part of any future settlement, including “zero gains for Hezbollah, the removal of UNIFIL forces, and IDF control over a narrow buffer zone critical for controlling fire and observation over Israeli communities.”
He added, “The series of blows to Hezbollah’s leadership and the ground operations have achieved significant operational successes; under no circumstances should we trade them for quiet equivalent to a bowl of lentils. We’ve already learned firsthand the cost of buying quiet in the Middle Eastern bazaar.”
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