Israel does not intend to hold territory in the Gaza Strip even if the IDF significantly expands its operations, Shas chairman MK Arye Deri said.Speaking in an extensive interview in the Shas-affiliated newspaper Haderech, Deri’s statement appeared to contradict a statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on March 26, during which he said Israel would “seize territory” in Gaza if Hamas did not return the hostagesAccording to Deri, who is a permanent invitee to security cabinet meetings and is normally part of even smaller war decision-making forums, “The new chief of staff and his deputy have a structured plan that includes the gradual evacuation of the population, the return of the IDF to certain areas, and, essentially, the ground conquest of the entire Gaza Strip. The intention is not to hold the territory but to topple Hamas’s rule and bring the hostages home,” he said in the interview that was published on Wednesday.
Deri also said the hostage deal collapsed in part due to the direct talks between US Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler and Hamas, which Deri said caused “great damage.”While the recent military pressure has brought Hamas closer to the negotiating table, Israel is insisting on the “first Witkoff proposal” – i.e., release of 50% of live and dead hostages at the start of negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, and the release of the rest once an agreement is reached, as per US envoy Steve Witkoff’s outline.Israel would only agree to a permanent ceasefire on “one fundamental condition: the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip; the expulsion of all senior Hamas leaders and commanders and the entire leadership of the organization; and the establishment of an alternative governance structure agreed upon in advance,” Deri said.
Deri commended Israel’s success in the front against Hezbollah. He revealed, however, that prior to the war, Israel had been afraid to confront Hezbollah.“Just two years ago, they dared to set up tents within Israeli territory, on Mount Dov, and no one dared to remove them,” Deri said. “I remember the discussions – we talked then about the loss of sovereignty, and there was fear of what would happen if we removed the tents. The army feared that such a step would lead to rocket barrages. That was the extent of the fear of [then-leader Hassan] Nasrallah,” he said.Deri commented on the recent government decision to fire Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar, and the ensuing challenges in the High Court. Meanwhile, the firing has been frozen until April 20.Bar argued in a letter to the court that Netanyahu had turned against him after he refused to deem the prime minister’s testimony in his criminal trial unsafe. However, according to Deri, the lack of trust in Bar began when he expressed his opinion that the government should form a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas massacre. According to Deri and other ministers, this amounted to interference in a political matter.
Haredi service in the IDF
Deri also commented on the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) service in the IDF. The government is required by law to recruit all military-age men into the IDF, but has mostly refrained from doing so, and is preparing a bill that would exempt thousands of yeshiva students from service.“We are currently in a very sensitive and complex situation,” in which, despite the “pain” of the option of serving, the instructions of Shas’s spiritual leaders were that “especially at this time, we must approach matters with public responsibility,” he said.However, one redline, which Deri said was “very clear,” was that “as long as the situation remains one of legal uncertainty and we are in advanced negotiations for an arrangement [to exempt haredi yeshiva students], we will continue to act responsibly.“But the moment, heaven forbid, even a single incident occurs – just one – where the Military Police enter a yeshiva or a home and arrest even one yeshiva student, at that moment – regardless of the circumstances, whether it is a Supreme Court decision or insistence by the attorney general – at that moment, Shas will not be able to remain in the government,” Deri said.The “fundamental principle” was that “it is inconceivable that Torah scholars would face a real threat and we would continue to sit in the government,” Deri said. In the IDF itself there was still a “degree of understanding” and the IDF has “explicitly” stated that is has “no intention of acting against Torah-learners, have not done so in the past, and will not do so now – both because they understand they lack the resources for it and because they recognize it is futile,” Deri said.“However, we do not know how long this will last, and therefore we need to remain vigilant. The moment this happens – there will be no government. This is clear and unequivocal.”Deri demanded that by the beginning of the Knesset’s summer session on May 4, there be “internal agreement on all the core issues of the law, an agreement that has legal backing from all involved parties.” If such an agreement is not reached, Shas will “not participate in votes” and “not vote on other laws,” Deri warned.