The move comes in response to the cabinet’s approval of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, which the party strongly opposes.
In a statement reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, the party declared, "The Otzma Yehudit party will submit letters of resignation from the government and the coalition tomorrow morning, and ministers Ben Gvir, Yitzhak Wasserlauf, and Amichai Eliyahu, as well as committee chairs MKs Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech, and MK Yitzhak Kroizer, will leave their positions."
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Ben Gvir had earlier indicated that his party would leave the coalition if the agreement went ahead. Despite his efforts to persuade Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a fellow far-right leader, to resign alongside him.
The departure of Jewish Power would reduce Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition from 68 seats to 62 in the 120-seat Knesset, leaving the government with a slim but functional majority.
The agreement, brokered by Qatar, aims to end over 15 months of Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT) on Sunday.
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Since October 7, 2023, over 47,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been killed and more than 110,700 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza.
Israel faces allegations of war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is also the subject of a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In November 2024, arrest warrants were issued by the ICC for prime minister Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Source: Agencies