Israel-Gaza War: Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Sunday. This comes as the war in Gaza rages on. The former general and defence minister announced his resignation from the war cabinet after he failed to get a post-war plan, which he demanded in May for Gaza, approved by PM Netanyahu. The war cabinet makes all key decisions about the conflict.
Gantz’s departure is not expected to bring down the government, but it marks the first major political blow to the Israeli PM eight months into the Gaza war against Palestinian Hamas militants. According to news agency AFP, Gadi Eisenkot, also a former army chief and member of Gantz's party, followed him out of the war cabinet. Following the latest developments, the war cabinet is now left with only three members.
"Netanyahu is preventing us from progressing to a real victory. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today with a heavy heart," Gantz said, as quoted by AFP. "I call on Netanyahu: set an agreed election date. Don't let our people be torn apart," he said.
Not The Time To Abandon The Battle: Netanyahu
Reacting to Gantz’s decision, the Israeli PM said, "Benny, this is not the time to abandon the battle -- this is the time to join forces," as quoted by AFP.
Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both were quick to react to Gantz's resignation. Ben Gvir said he had "issued a demand" to Netanyahu that he join the war cabinet.
Smotrich came down heavily on Gantz and said, "There is no less stately act than resigning from a government in time of war," and as "the kidnapped are still dying in the Hamas tunnels." The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said the country "will not forgive the leaders who abandon the hostages."
Gantz apologised to the captives' families, adding, "We have failed the result test." Netanyahu had urged Gantz not to step down from the war cabinet on Saturday after Israeli forces rescued four hostages from Gaza, as reported by AFP.
The former army chief, who was one of the Israeli PM’s key rivals before joining the war cabinet, had repeatedly called on Israel to reach a deal to secure the release of all hostages and to make it a "priority."
After a week-long ceasefire in November, which witnessed the release of a plethora of hostages, Israel has not been able to reach any further agreement and has continued its fierce military campaign in Gaza.