Israel's defense minister has resigned in protest of a cease-fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza.  Avigdor Lieberman resigned on Wednesday during a press briefing, saying the cease-fire will "severely harm our security in the long run." He's been critical of peace deals with Hamas in the past.  The Jerusalem Post reports  several Israeli officials  are already vying for Lieberman's spot.

His resignation goes into effect two days after he puts it in writing.

Lieberman is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition, and his leaving could trigger early elections.  On Tuesday, Egypt helped  broker the truce  between Israel and Palestinian groups, including Hamas.

The cease-fire came after a wave of fighting in the Gaza Strip left at least eight people dead in the days leading up to the deal.  Hamas said it would  respect the deal  if Israel did, and the country's security cabinet appears to have accepted it, though as of Wednesday morning, there hadn't been an official statement.  Additional reporting from  Newsy affiliate CNN .