With resumption of war in Gaza, Ben Gvir’s party to return to the government today

Former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party will return to the government today, just under two months after leaving the coalition.

In a joint statement, Otzma Yehudit and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party announce that they have “agreed that the Otzma Yehudit faction will return to the Israeli government today, and Otzma Yehudit ministers will return to the government.”

Otzma Yehudit quit Netanyahu’s coalition in January, following through on the far-right party’s threat to exit if the government agreed to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.

Earlier today, Ben Gvir welcomed the resumption of military operations in the Gaza Strip overnight, following an extensive wave of airstrikes across the coastal territory that targeted mid-level Hamas commanders, members of the terror group’s politburo, and its infrastructure.

“We welcome the return of the State of Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to intense fighting,” Ben Gvir said in a statement.

“As we said in recent months, when we withdrew [from the government], Israel must return to fighting in Gaza. This is the right, moral, ethical and most justified step, in order to destroy the Hamas terrorist organization and bring back our hostages. We must not accept the existence of the Hamas organization and it must be destroyed.”

Following Otzma Yehudit’s exit from the coalition, the cabinet approved the temporary appointment of Tourism Minister Haim Katz to the three ministerial positions left vacant by the party. It was widely believed that the reason for making Katz’s appointments temporary was Netanyahu’s desire to signal to Ben Gvir that the portfolios were waiting for him, should he wish to return to the coalition.

Responding to Otzma Yehudit and Likud’s announcement, The Democrats party MK Merav Michaeli tweets: “Ben Gvir is returning, the hostages aren’t.”