Israeli minister Benny Gantz resigns from war cabinet
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has resigned from the emergency government following a dispute with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his plans for Gaza after the conflict.
“Netanyahu prevents us from moving forward to a real victory,” Gantz said in a televised statement Sunday in which he described leaving the government as a “complex and painful decision.”
“That is why we are leaving the emergency government today with a heavy heart, but with a whole heart.”
Previously, Gantz had given Netanyahu until June 8 to present a plan for Israel to achieve its six "strategic goals." These goals included ending Hamas's governance in Gaza and setting up a multinational civilian administration for the region.
On Saturday, Netanyahu urged Gantz to stay in the coalition, emphasizing that it was a time for unity rather than division.
“We must remain united within ourselves in the face of the great tasks before us,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X. “I call on Benny Gantz — do not leave the emergency government. Don’t give up on unity.”
Despite Gantz's resignation, Netanyahu's government remains stable as Gantz's party was not part of the prime minister’s ruling coalition, which still holds 64 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, Israel's parliament.
Gantz was part of the war cabinet, a body separate from the main Israeli government, tasked with making decisions about the military operations in Gaza.
