Ben Gvir says he is against a deal that would allow Palestinians to be released

Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir said on Wednesday that he is against a potential deal with Hamas that would see thousands of Palestinians released in exchange for captives held in Gaza. 

He told the Israeli parliament: “We won’t allow thousands of terrorists to be released. The numbers presented [in the media] are meant to prepare the ground for another far-fetching deal.”

He added, Israel has a “moral obligation to return the hostages, but it has an equal duty to provide security for its citizens”.