Far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been reinstated to his post following an agreement between his party, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), and Likud, the party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ben-Gvir’s return was proposed by Netanyahu, and was confirmed by the Israeli cabinet, according to a statement by the prime minister’s office on Wednesday, which was reported by Reuters.
Likud and Otzma Yehudit announced their agreement a day earlier, hours after Israel resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip in breach of a fragile ceasefire that came into force on January 19.
The renewed attacks left more than 400 Palestinians dead, including over 170 children.
Ben-Gvir had left Netanyahu’s coalition in protest against the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which he called a “capitulation” to the Palestinian resistance movement.
The far-right minister has caused controversy on numerous occasions over his extremist policies against the Palestinian people.
In January, he said that humanitarian aid coupled with fuel, electricity and water must be “completely stopped” from entering Gaza in order to put pressure on Hamas to release the prisoners held since the start of the war in early October 2023.
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