Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly declared that he has “lost faith” in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ability to lead the Israel Defense Forces to a decisive victory in Gaza. In a video statement posted over the weekend, Smotrich said the current military campaign should end only with Hamas’s defeat and the annexation of "large parts" of the enclave, dismissing Netanyahu’s decision to limit the ground operation to Gaza City as insufficient. Smotrich, whose Religious Zionism party is a linchpin of the ruling coalition, also attacked the premier for entertaining a possible cease-fire-for-hostage deal with Hamas, arguing that such an arrangement would leave Israel in a permanent state of conflict. “My conscience does not allow it,” he said, insisting that any outcome short of full territorial control would squander the sacrifices of Israeli soldiers. The minister’s outburst underscores growing fissures inside Netanyahu’s coalition as it debates whether to expand the offensive that began last year. While the prime minister has so far contained similar criticism from opposition figures, a challenge from within his own cabinet could threaten the government’s stability and complicate efforts to chart the next phase of the war.