The leader of a far-right party has returned to the Israeli government as national security minister following a series of strikes that killed more than 400 Palestinians in Gaza.
Itamar Ben-Gvir quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition in January in protest at a ceasefire with Hamas that was broken by Israeli bombing on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the attack was “just the beginning” and that Israel would continue its actions until it achieved all of its military goals – the destruction of Hamas and the release of all hostages held by the group since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that escalated the conflict.
Gaza's Health Ministry said Tuesday's strikes killed at least 409 people, including 173 children and 88 women.
Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the ministry's documentation department, described the day as the deadliest since the start of the war in Gaza.
The return of Mr Ben-Gvir, the leader of the ultra-nationalist Jewish Power party, strengthens Mr Netanyahu's coalition ahead of a key budget vote this month and improves its chances of surviving until the next scheduled election in October 2026.
Mr. Ben-Gvir advocates a full resumption of the war to eliminate Hamas, reduce the population of Gaza through what he calls voluntary Palestinian migration, and restore Jewish settlements in the region.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
