Jewish Power party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks following the announcement of exit polls in Israel’s general election, at his party headquarters in Jerusalem November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Corinna Kern

i24 News – The party of Israel’s hardline National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Sunday it was leaving the country’s ruling coalition in protest of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement, whose implementation begins the same day.

A press release by the Otzma Yehudit branded the US and Qatar-brokered deal a “capitulation” to the Palestinian jihadists of Hamas and lashed out at the “release of hundreds of murderers” and the “renouncing of the IDF’s achievements in the war” in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir and two other ministers — Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu and Negev, Galilee and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf — handed in their resignation letters to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still retains a slim majority in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) despite their resignation.

“From this time onwards the Otzma Yehudit party is no longer party to the coalition,” the statement read.