Israeli minister Benny Gantz announced his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government on Sunday, withdrawing the only centrist power in the embattled leader’s far-right coalition, amid a months-long war in Gaza. Netanyahu issued a brief statement calling on Gantz not to “abandon the front” but his departure will not endanger the parliamentary majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset held by the ruling right-wing coalition.
Quick Read
- Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation on Sunday.
- The move does not immediately pose a threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still controls a majority coalition in parliament, but it makes Netanyahu more reliant on his far-right allies.
- Gantz said that Netanyahu is making “total victory impossible” and emphasized that the government needs to prioritize the return of the hostages seized on Oct. 7 by Hamas “above political survival.”
- Gantz, a popular former military chief, joined Netanyahu’s government shortly after the Hamas attack in a show of unity, boosting Israel’s credibility with international partners, including good working relations with U.S. officials.
- Gantz had previously stated he would leave the government by June 8 if Netanyahu did not formulate a new plan for postwar Gaza.
- He scrapped a planned news conference on Saturday night after four Israeli hostages were dramatically rescued from Gaza earlier in the day in Israel’s largest such operation since the eight-month war began.
- The raid resulted in at least 274 Palestinians, including children, being killed, according to Gaza health officials.
The Associated Press has the story:
Centrist Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war Cabinet, resigns over lack of plans for postwar Gaza
Newslooks- JERUSALEM (AP) —
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-man war Cabinet, announced his resignation on Sunday.
The move does not immediately pose a threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who still controls a majority coalition in parliament. But the Israeli leader becomes more heavily reliant on his far-right allies.
Gantz said that Netanyahu is making “total victory impossible” and that the government needs to put the return of the hostages seized Oct. 7 by Hamas “above political survival.”
The popular former military chief joined Netanyahu’s government shortly after the Hamas attack in a show of unity. His presence also boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners. Gantz has good working relations with U.S. officials.
Gantz had previously said he would leave the government by June 8 if Netanyahu did not formulate a new plan for postwar Gaza.
He scrapped a planned news conference Saturday night after four Israelihostages were dramatically rescued from Gaza earlier in the day in Israel’s largest such operation since the eight-month war began. At least 274 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the assault, Gaza health officials said.
Netanyahu issued a brief statement calling on Gantz not to “abandon the front” but his departure will not endanger the parliamentary majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset held by the ruling right-wing coalition.
“Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward true victory. That is why we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart but with full confidence,” Gantz said at a televised news conference.
Gantz’s resignation had been expected ever since he presented the conservative prime minister with a June 8 deadline to come up with a clear day-after strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been pressing a devastating military offensive against the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas.
His departure means that Netanyahu will lose the backing of a centrist bloc that has helped broaden support for the government in Israel and abroad, at a time of increasing diplomatic and domestic pressure eight months into the Gaza war.
Gantz had originally been expected to announce his resignation on Saturday but pushed back the statement following the dramatic rescue of four hostages Israeli forces.
