Israel’s war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives at the U.S. State Department in preparation for a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, DC, March 5, 2024.
Drew Angler | AFP | Getty Images
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it did not adopt a new plan for the war in Gaza within three weeks, a move that would unseat Prime Minister Benjamin. Yahu relies more on his far-right allies.
His announcement heightened divisions within Israel’s leadership, which, more than seven months into the war, has yet to achieve its stated goals of dismantling Hamas and returning dozens of hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7 attack.
Gantz laid out a six-point plan that includes returning dozens of hostages, ending Hamas rule, demilitarizing Gaza and establishing an international civilian administration. It also supports efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
He said he would quit the government if the bill was not passed by June 8. “If you choose the path of the fanatics and lead the country to the abyss – we will be forced out of government,” he said.
Gantz is a popular politician and a long-time political rival of Netanyahu who joined his coalition and war cabinet early in the war.
The departure of the former military chief of staff and defense minister will make Netanyahu even more beholden to far-right allies who have taken a hard line in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages and who believe Israel should occupy Gaza and rebuild the Jewish state. .
Gantz’s speech came days after Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister and the third member of the war cabinet, said: public expression He has repeatedly implored the cabinet to decide on a post-war vision for Gaza that would see a new Palestinian civilian leadership.
Netanyahu faces increasing pressure on many fronts. Hard-liners in the government hope to continue a military offensive against Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah in an effort to crush Hamas. The United States and other key allies have warned against an offensive against the city, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have taken refuge – hundreds of thousands of whom have fled – and threatened to scale back humanitarian access to Gaza. crisis of support.
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan will travel to Saudi Arabia and Israel over the weekend to discuss the war and is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu on Sunday, who has declared that Israel will “be independent if necessary.” ”.
Many Israelis, anguished by the hostage situation and accusing Netanyahu of putting political interests above all else, want a deal to stop the fighting and free the hostages. On Friday, the military said its troops in Gaza had discovered three hostages killed by Hamas in an Oct. 7 attack, sparking fresh resentment. It was announced on Saturday that the body of a fourth hostage had been found.
The latest ceasefire talks brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt have achieved little. The vision beyond the war is also uncertain.
The war broke out after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. Israel says about 100 hostages and the bodies of about 30 people are still being held in Gaza.
Local health officials say the Israeli offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, while hundreds more have been killed in the occupied West Bank.
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