From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Ben Gvir: If Netanyahu gives up on dismantling Hamas, government has no right to exist
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. 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"
If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “decides to give up on the goal of dismantling Hamas,” his government “will have no right to exist,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declares in the wake of the terror group’s violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
“Once again Hamas murders a soldier during the ‘ceasefire’ and once again the prime minister chooses to end the incident with the concept of a ‘measured response’ and an immediate return to the ceasefire, while continuing to introduce ‘humanitarian’ aid — instead of returning to full-scale war and striving to quickly achieve its main goal: the destruction of Hamas,” the far-right minister says in a statement.
“I remind the prime minister of his commitment to meet all the goals of the war. If he decides to give up on the goal of dismantling Hamas and is content with lip service to ‘victory’ and dismantlement in name only, while continuing to preserve the [pre-October 7] policy and in practice maintaining Hamas — the government will have no right to exist,” he insists.
This is the second time Ben Gvir has made this demand in as many days. Both Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Tuesday called on Netanyahu to act to ensure Hamas is destroyed over its failure to hand over the remaining 13 bodies of hostages, and the repeated deadly attacks on IDF soldiers in Gaza.
Ben Gvir recently announced he had given Netanyahu a deadline to dismantle Hamas or he would bolt the coalition, but declined to publicly state a specific timeline.
The Times of Israel Community.