From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 18, 2025
Ben Gvir demands that Netanyahu ‘come to his senses’ after Israel said to soften demands for Gaza withdrawal
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National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demands that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “come to his senses” and abandon the ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations, after Israel was said to have backed down from demands regarding the scope of its withdrawal from Gaza.
In particular, the ultranationalist minister takes issue with the matter of the so-called Morag Corridor, which separates the southern Gaza cities of Rafah and Khan Younis, as sources have said that Israel has agreed to remove its forces from that 12-kilometer-long strip.
In a scathing statement, Ben Gvir says that withdrawing from the Morag Corridor would be “another setback” in Israel’s war against Hamas, which is now in its 21st month.
“The Morag Corridor is a strategic axis conquered with the blood of our soldiers, and withdrawing from it would be spitting in their faces,” he fumes.
Addressing Netanyahu, he says it is not too late for the premier to “come to his senses.”
“Stop the negotiations with the terrorists,” he demands, “and give the necessary instructions to achieve the goals of the war: complete occupation, voluntary migration, and [Israeli] settlement.”
The Times of Israel Community.