From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 17, 2025
Ben Gvir blasts Netanyahu for allowing Palestinians into Gaza buffer zone to fix civilian infrastructure
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir slams Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allowing Palestinian construction equipment in an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip, asking, “Have we completely lost our sanity?”
Palestinians were allowed by the IDF to enter an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday to carry out repairs on civilian infrastructure.
“Mr. Prime Minister, you know that I love you, I really do love and appreciate you, but I really have a hard time explaining your behavior. There used to be someone to blame. Biden was guilty. Gantz was guilty. Eisenkot. Gallant. Herzi [Halevi]. But what now? Who is guilty now!? Why are you doing this?” Ben Gvir asks.
Ben Gvir further demands to know how allowing thousands of mobile homes into the Gaza Strip is compatible with “encouraging emigration.”
“President Trump, with common sense, with courage, in the face of all the pressure from the Arab world, held out a ladder for us to climb down from this reckless deal and demand the immediate return of all the hostages. Why didn’t you adopt President Trump’s ultimatum,” Ben Gvir asks, asserting that “the right-wing government, which is supposed to be strong and decisive, is constantly proving to be weak.”
Ben Gvir says that if Netanyahu were to restart the war and halt the entry of humanitarian aid, fuel and electricity until the return of the hostages, “not only will we return to the government, but right-wing and the entire Israeli people will back you.”
