Israeli Defence Minister Avidgor Lieberman stepped down from his position on Wednesday, slamming Prime Minister Netanyahu for "surrendering to Hamas terror."

"If I were to continue as defense minister I wouldn't be able to look the residents of the south in the eye," he said, as quoted by The Jerusalem Post. "This (Tuesday's ceasefire with Hamas) will severely harm our security in the long term," Lieberman added.

According to Lieberman, he didn't see eye to eye with Netayahu on many things, including allowing Qatari gas into Gaza and delaying the demolition of Khan al Ahmar, a Palestinian community on the West Bank.

Describing Israeli response to the recent launch of hundreds of rockets from Gaza as insufficient, Liberman named two conditions for humanitarian aid to be supplied to Gaza: bring back the captives and ensure no riots at the Gaza border.

The news broke after the government agreed to a ceasefire with the Hamas militants that ended the latest uptick in violence in Gaza, which saw Palestinians launch roughly 460 rockets, with Israel responding in kind.

Rumours about the minister's possible resignation have flared up as reports surfaced in Israeli media about his disagreement with Netanyahu over the course of action in the Gaza Strip.

Haaretz journalist Noa Landau indicated that the minister's resignation would "inevitably" trigger early election in Israel as his party is a member of the governing coation.

Sputnik

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