National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly reached out Wednesday to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to request that the two far-right party leaders form a united bloc within the government against the emerging ceasefire deal in Gaza being pushed by the Trump administration.

According to Hebrew language media reports, the two — who lead the Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism parties, respectively — were said to be mulling a meeting to discuss coordinating their opposition to the American initiative.

However, in a statement to the press sent via Smotrich’s spokesman, the finance minister denied any such cooperation and instead accused Ben Gvir of playing “a game” with leaks to the media.

The notion of the ministers preventing a hostage deal drew outrage from opposition leaders, who promised to give the government a majority in the Knesset for any such agreement, and families of hostages who said their alleged behavior was a “disgrace.”

The Kan public broadcaster quoted Ben Gvir as explaining he wanted Smotrich’s help as he alone “cannot halt this process, but together they have enough votes [in parliament] against the deal.”

The two parties together have 13 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, where the ruling coalition fields a slim majority with just 61 lawmakers. Though the cabinet would not need Knesset approval for a hostage deal and can authorize one even against the wishes of Ben Gvir and Smotrich, the two parties could threaten to hamper coalition legislative action in parliament if they don’t get their way.

A source close to Smotrich denied he was coordinating with Ben Gvir, telling the media, “There is no approach [to Smotrich] from Ben Gvir; there is a briefing by Ben Gvir to the media about a meeting that was not set.”

“The........

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