Ben-Gvir furious over Gaza aid, says cabinet used Sabbath as 'excuse' to exclude him

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has hit out at his government's move to allow limited amounts of aid into Gaza, saying that he was not informed of the plans.

The minister, who has long advocated for the annexation of Palestinian land and expulsion of the Palestinians, said the cabinet used the Sabbath - the Jewish day of rest - as an excuse not to include him in discussions.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet on Saturday approved a move to allow limited amounts of aid into Gaza during daily 10-hour "humanitarian pauses".

Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were not included in the meeting to "refrain from desecrating the sanctity of the Sabbath", The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported.

In an interview with Radio 104 FM on Sunday, Ben-Gvir hit back at his fellow cabinet members saying that they "did not want to hear my opinion".

"I am very angry at those who say that the excuse for not inviting us is the sanctity of the Sabbath, and that we are not violating the Sabbath. I have previously received security briefings on the Sabbath, and I have traveled in my car ( both forbidden by Jewish law on the Sabbath)," he said, later adding that he had met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday evening — in contravention of the Sabbath — and was not informed of the plan.

"I have organized plans. We stop aid and don't let anything into Gaza. If our kidnapped people don't eat, then they (the Palestinians) shouldn't eat anything either... We must occupy the entire Strip. This is our land, and they must pay for what they have done by losing land and by encouraging emigration. It is very sad that (this is not happening) while US President Donald Trump is on our side," he said.

The minister also blamed the recent deaths of Israeli soldiers on decisions to allow limited amounts of aid into Gaza.

Ben-Gvir, who rejoined the government after resigning in January over a now-defunct ceasefire agreement, has staunchly pushed for a continuation of Israel's war and for Gaza's population to be expelled.

Under increasing international pressure over its deliberate starving of Gaza, Israel has allowed limited amounts of aid into the enclave in what it has described as "tactical pauses" in military activity.

The pauses begin daily at 10:00am local time and end at 5:00pm local time.

More than 120 Palestinians, including infants, have died from hunger-related issues due to Israel's blocking of aid to the enclave.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed at least 59,733 Palestinians in Gaza, according to figures from Gaza's health ministry.