2 Likud ministers join far-right cabinet members in opposing hostage deal

Likud ministers David Amsalem and Amichai Chikli were among the eight cabinet members to vote against the hostage-ceasefire agreement with Hamas, along with ministers from the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism parties.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, also of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, was not present.

The Otzma Yehudit ministers who opposed the deal are Itamar Ben Gvir — the party’s leader, Yitzhak Wasserlauf and Amichai Eliyahu. The head of Religious Zionism, Bezalel Smotrich, was joined by his party’s ministers Orit Strock and Ofir Sofer in voting against.

Otzma Yehudit has threatened to quit the coalition over the deal, while Religious Zionism will apparently remain in the government despite opposing the agreement after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly reached understandings with Smotrich to keep his faction in the fold.