Coalition crisis stalls Israel's key cabinet meeting on Hamas deal

The delay in convening Israel's political-military cabinet to approve a critical deal is reportedly tied to internal political tensions, rather than any developments involving Hamas.

The holdup stems from disagreements within the Tzioniut Datit party, rather than the ongoing negotiations with Hamas, Caliber.Az reports citing Israeli media.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working to prevent the faction of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from leaving the coalition, as sources indicated that the threat of Smotrich's departure is becoming increasingly likely. Although an agreement between Netanyahu and Smotrich was reportedly near completion just hours before the meeting, no deal was finalized.

Earlier, Netanyahu's office announced that Hamas had abandoned previously agreed-upon terms. The statement explained that Hamas was attempting to use blackmail to extract additional concessions in the final stages of the talks. As a result, Israel's political-military cabinet will not convene until the mediators confirm that Hamas has accepted all terms of the agreement.

Ongoing efforts to secure release of forgotten hostages

Amid the political standoff, a separate issue has drawn attention: the fate of foreign nationals who were kidnapped by terrorists during the Black Saturday attacks and taken to Gaza. Unlike Israeli hostages, these foreign nationals—primarily guest workers from Thailand, Nepal, and Tanzania—are not included in the first phase of the humanitarian deal.

Reports reveal that Hamas is currently holding eight Thai nationals, one Nepalese national, and one Tanzanian national, with three foreign hostages confirmed dead in captivity. The governments of Thailand, Nepal, and other involved nations, including the US and Egypt, have been actively negotiating with Israel, Qatar, and Hamas to secure their release.

These workers, who were employed in communities near the Gaza Strip, have not received significant media attention. Israel has expressed its hopes that these hostages will be included in the second phase of the deal, and that Hamas will release them as a gesture of goodwill towards their home countries and the international community.

By Vafa Guliyeva