Israeli Defense Minister Resigns: Avigdor Lieberman resigns to protest ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza

World
Europe

01:47

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has announced his resignation from the government after a sharp disagreement over a Gaza ceasefire deal. It is seen as a heavy blow to Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, and sparked immediate calls for early elections. CGTN's Stephanie Freid has the details.

STEPHANIE FREID TEL AVIV "Israel Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's sudden resignation sparked political flurry and set the wheels of speculation in motion."

Referring to Israel's ceasefire agreement with Gaza as short term quiet at the price of long term security, Lieberman announced his resignation less than twenty-four hours after the deal was struck and at the same time, called for elections.

AVIGDOR LIEBERMAN ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER "Yesterday's ceasefire, together with the entire process of reaching an arrangement with Hamas, is capitulation to terror."

Following twenty-four hours of intense Gaza rocket fire on Israel and Israel military strikes on Gaza targets, Egypt mediated a halt to the fighting. Defense Minister Liberman was one of four Israel security cabinet members who did not support a deal.

The hawkish leader of Israel's nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, Liberman is known for his extreme political positions, among them a call for Israel's military to hit Gaza hard.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains a razor thin coalition majority despite Liberman's resignation, but remaining coalition partner demands may force elections in early 2019.

As Tuesday's ceasefire agreement was made public, Israelis living along the Gaza border took to the streets, calling for Prime Minister Netanyahu to resign.

STEPHANIE FREID, CGTN, TEL AVIV.