JERUSALEM — President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted, places Israel’s right-wing ultra-Orthodox coalition in danger of collapse. Having survived the fallout of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have made clear they will not support the Trump plan. 

On Friday, Hamas responded to the plan, signaling approval for releasing Israeli captives and transferring Gaza’s administration to a technocratic Palestinian body, but said both would proceed only under the “necessary field conditions” for implementation. The militant group stopped short of fully embracing the framework.

Shortly after, Trump said Hamas’ reply indicated the group was ready for a “lasting peace” and called on Israel to halt bombing so hostages could be released safely, framing the plan as part of broader Middle East peace efforts.

The two far-right government standard bearers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party, did not wait for Netanyahu to return from Washington on Tuesday before blasting him for succumbing to Trump’s pressure and accepting what Smotrich dubbed the surrender plan. While neither threatened to resign, the elections scheduled for October 2026 may prompt them to bolt and shore up the backing of their militant voters.