Catherine Rusoff
Benny Gantza centrist member of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it did not adopt a new plan within three weeks to the war in Gazaa move that would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more dependent on his far-right allies.
Your ad division within Israel’s leadership increases more than seven months after the start of a war in which it has not yet achieved its declared objectives of dismantling Hamas and returning dozens of hostages kidnapped in the October 7 attack.
Gantz came up with a six-point plan that includes the return of dozens of hostages, ending Hamas rule, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and establishing an international administration of civil affairs. It also supports efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
He says if it is not adopted by June 8, he will leave the government. “If we choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation into the abyss, we will be forced to resign from the government,” he said.
Gantz, a popular politician and Netanyahu’s longtime political rival, joined your coalition and the War Cabinet in the early days of the war.
Michael Varaklas/AP
The departure of the former military chief of staff and defense minister would leave Netanyahu even more indebted to far-right allies who have taken a hard line in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release, and who believe Israel should occupy Gaza and rebuild the Jews. settlements there.
Gantz spoke days after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the third-ranking member of the War Cabinet, said openly that he had repeatedly implored the Cabinet to decide on a post-war vision for Gaza this would see the creation of a new Palestinian civilian leadership.
Netanyahu is under increasing pressure on multiple fronts. His government’s hardliners want a military offensive in the Gaza zone southernmost city of Rafah move forward with the aim of crushing Hamas. The main ally, the US and others, warned against the offensive in a city where more than half of Gaza’s population more than 2.3 million people had taken shelter – hundreds of thousands have already fled – and threatened reduce support on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The US national security advisor, Jake Sullivanwill be in Saudi Arabia and Israel this weekend to discuss the war and is scheduled to meet on Sunday with Netanyahu, who has declared that Israel would “stand alone” if necessary.
Many Israelis, distressed by the hostages and accusing Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of everything else, want a deal to stop the fighting and free them. There was fresh frustration on Friday when the military said its troops in Gaza had found the bodies of three hostages killed by Hamas in the October 7 attack. The discovery of the body of a fourth hostage was announced on Saturday.
The last lectures in search for a ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, brought little. A vision beyond the war is also uncertain.
The war began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. Israel claims that around 100 hostages are still held captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 others.
The Israeli offensive killed more more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been killed in Occupied West Bank.
