Religious Zionism lawmaker MK Simcha Rothman voiced strong opposition this evening to the emerging ceasefire framework, cautioning that releasing convicted terrorists as part of the agreement would come at an unacceptable cost to Israel.
In an interview with Kan News, Rothman stated, “250 terrorists with blood on their hands that walk free – that’s one huge price.” He argued that no political or diplomatic gain could justify such a concession, saying that Israel must not compromise its security principles for short-term results.
“This deal is not good, but I am not going to give [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu a performance assessment right now,” Rothman continued. “The very fact that we are sitting here now and [US President Donald] Trump and Netanyahu are saying that we are waiting for Hamas’ answer – that is a problem.”
Rothman emphasized that Israel has made painful compromises in the past through similar deals and must now stay focused on achieving total victory. “We swallowed many frogs with the previous deals. Now we have our eyes on the ball, to ensure that the goals of Israel’s war are achieved in their entirety,” he said.
On Friday, President Donald Trump responded publicly to Hamas’s partial acceptance of his peace proposal for Gaza. Although Hamas did not agree to every element of the plan and requested further negotiations, Trump hailed its response as a “positive one,” expressing optimism that it signaled readiness for a broader peace agreement and urging Israel to halt its bombardment of the Strip.
“Based on the Statement just issued by Hamas, I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE. Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “We are already in discussions on details to be worked out. This is not about Gaza alone, this is about long sought PEACE in the Middle East.”
Following Trump’s remarks, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the Israel Defense Forces to pause offensive operations in Gaza and shift to a defensive posture.
“Following Hamas’s response, Israel is preparing for the immediate implementation of the first stage of President Trump’s plan for the immediate release of all the hostages,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “We will continue to work in full cooperation with the President and his team in order to bring the war to an end in accordance with the principles set forth by Israel, which are consistent with President Trump’s vision.”
{Matzav.com}
