Smotrich also accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of
failing to ensure that Israel's military is following government directives in
prosecuting the war against Hamas in Gaza. He said he was considering his
"next steps" but stopped short of explicitly threatening to quit the
coalition.
Smotrich's comments come a day before Netanyahu is due to
hold talks in Washington with President Donald Trump on a US-backed proposal
for a 60-day Gaza ceasefire.
The Israeli government has not announced any changes to its
aid policy in Gaza. Israeli media reported that the government had voted to
allow additional aid to enter northern Gaza.
Israel accuses Hamas of stealing aid for its own fighters or
to sell to finance its operations, an accusation Hamas denies. Gaza is in the
grip of a humanitarian catastrophe, with conditions threatening to push
nearly a half a million people into famine within months, according to UN
estimates.
Israel in May partially lifted a nearly three-month blockade
on aid. Two Israeli officials said on June 27 the government had temporarily stopped
aid from entering north Gaza.
Public
pressure in Israel is mounting on Netanyahu to secure a permanent ceasefire, a
move opposed by some hardline members of his right-wing coalition. An Israeli
team left for Qatar on Sunday for talks on a possible Gaza hostage
and ceasefire deal.
Smotrich, who in January threatened to withdraw his
Religious Zionism party from the government if Israel agreed to a complete end
to the war before having achieved its objectives, did not mention the ceasefire
in his criticism of Netanyahu.
The right-wing coalition holds a slim parliamentary majority,
although some opposition lawmakers have offered to support the government from
collapsing if a ceasefire is agreed.
Most of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the war, a
humanitarian crisis has unfolded, and much of the territory lies in ruins.
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