Amidst rising tensions in the on going Israel-Hamas war Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli War Cabinet, has threatened to resign from the government if a new plan for the war in Gaza isn’t adopted within three weeks. This move could potentially make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more dependent on his far-right allies.
Gantz, a former Israeli defense minister, is demanding that the cabinet presents a plan for the conflict with Hamas by June 8. He emphasized that the plan should aim to eliminate Hamas, secure the release of hostages, establish an alternative government in Gaza, repatriate Israeli residents to northern Israel, and develop a strategy for advancing normalization with Saudi Arabia.
Gantz said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must choose between “victory and disaster” as he issued the ultimatum.
“If (Netanyahu) choose(s) to lead the nation into the abyss, we will withdraw from the government, turn to the people, and form a government that can bring about a real victory,” Gantz said, CNN reported.
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Gantz’s ultimatum arrives shortly after Defense Minister Yoav Gallant publicly pressed for a post-war strategy, vowing to oppose prolonged Israeli control over Gaza — his most explicit stance on the matter yet. He cautioned against the repercussions of an extended Israeli military presence in Gaza and directly challenged Netanyahu.
Gantz upheld Israel’s military actions in Rafah, labeling the city as a crucial point for Hamas’s resurgence. He emphasized that for peace to prevail between Israelis and Palestinians, Hamas cannot persist in Gaza and must be ousted from Rafah, as per CNN reports.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has dismissed Benny Gantz’s warning to exit the government, stating that his deadline for devising a strategy against Hamas would negatively impact Israel.
“The conditions set by Benny Gantz are washed-up words whose meaning is clear: the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandonment of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact, and the establishment of a Palestinian state,” the office said in a statement.
The Prime Minister’s Office also questioned Gantz’s stance on dismantling Hamas forces, resisting the involvement of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, and rejecting the formation of a Palestinian state. They emphasized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s commitment to all three objectives, as reported by CNN.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu thinks that the emergency government is important for achieving all the goals of the war, including the return of all our hostages, and expects Gantz to clarify his positions to the public on these issues,” according to the statement.
