Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has engaged in discussions with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich regarding a proposed hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas, aiming to understand and potentially mitigate Smotrich's opposition. Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have threatened to resign if the government pursues a deal that halts fighting in Gaza and releases Palestinian prisoners in exchange for hostages. Concurrently, Bank of Israel Governor Amir Yaron has urged Netanyahu to expedite the approval of the 2025 state budget, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fiscal stability amid ongoing war conditions. Recent delays in budget discussions have raised concerns among economists about the stability of Israel's economy, further exacerbated by credit rating downgrades from major agencies like Fitch. Speculation persists that Netanyahu may be delaying the budget process to trigger new elections. The Prime Minister's Office has not commented on either the hostage deal discussions or the budget delays.