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Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned on Monday that his far-right Otzma Yehudit party will suspend support for all coalition legislation unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government advances a bill imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners within the next three weeks.
Speaking during a meeting of his party’s Knesset faction, Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu’s Likud party of violating the coalition agreement, which, he claimed, included a commitment to pass a death penalty law during the current Knesset term.“If the death penalty law is not brought to a vote within three weeks, Otzma Yehudit will not participate in votes on coalition bills,” Ben-Gvir declared. He criticised the government for what he called a series of “excuses” to delay the legislation—first before the war, and later during it. “After the war began, they said the law might endanger the kidnapped soldiers,” Ben-Gvir said. “But now, with the return of the living captives, that excuse is no longer valid.”
Ben-Gvir argued that enacting the death penalty would serve as “a significant lever of pressure on Hamas” and should be part of Israel’s “toolbox” in its war on the group. The minister also renewed calls for an escalation in the military campaign, saying Israel should move from limited strikes to full-scale operations.
“We are not in another round of fighting but in a war of revival,” he said. “The goal is not to exact a price from Hamas—it is to annihilate it. The time has come for renewed, intense fighting until that goal is achieved.”
The ultimatum highlights growing tensions within Israel’s ruling coalition, as far-right ministers push for harsher measures against Palestinians while Netanyahu faces both domestic and international pressure over the conduct of the war in Gaza.
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