Israel’s Ben-Gvir slams return of displaced Gazans as ‘total surrender’

Israel's Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir condemned the return of thousands of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza on Monday as "total surrender."

"This is not what 'total victory' looks like-this is what total surrender looks like," Ben-Gvir wrote on his X account.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians began returning to northern Gaza early Monday under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took effect on Jan. 19 between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

Ben-Gvir, who resigned from the government in opposition to the deal, said the return of the displaced Palestinians is "another humiliating part" of what he called the "reckless" Gaza deal.

"We must return to war — and destroy!" said Ben-Gvir, the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party.

The return of Palestinians came hours after Qatar mediated an agreement between Hamas and Israel under which the Palestinian group agreed to release female Israeli captive Arbel Yehud and two others by Friday.

The first six-week phase of the ceasefire agreement suspended Israel's genocidal war that has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

Seven Israeli captives, including four soldiers, have so far been released in return for 290 Palestinian prisoners since the deal came into force on Jan. 19.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.