Israel War Cabinet Minister Threatens Resignation Over Gaza Plan; Netanyahu Responds

Post by: Elena Malik

Photo : AP

Jerusalem: Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz stated on Saturday that he would resign from the body unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip. "The war cabinet must formulate and approve by June 8 an action plan that will lead to the realization of six strategic goals of national importance, or we will be forced to resign from the government," Gantz said in a televised address directed at Netanyahu, referring to his party.

Gantz outlined the six goals, which included toppling Hamas, ensuring Israeli security control over the Palestinian territory, and returning Israeli hostages. "Along with maintaining Israeli security control, establish an American, European, Arab, and Palestinian administration that will manage civilian affairs in the Gaza Strip and lay the foundation for a future alternative that is not Hamas or (Mahmud) Abbas," he added, referring to the president of the Palestinian Authority.

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He also called for the normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia "as part of an overall move that will create an alliance with the free world and the Arab world against Iran and its affiliates."

In response to Gantz's threat, Netanyahu criticized the minister's demands as "washed-up words whose meaning is clear: the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandoning of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact and the establishment of a Palestinian state."

The Israeli army has been battling Hamas across the Gaza Strip for more than seven months. However, significant divisions have emerged within the Israeli war cabinet in recent days after Hamas fighters regrouped in northern Gaza, an area where Israel previously claimed the group had been neutralized.

Netanyahu faced personal criticism from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday for failing to rule out an Israeli government in Gaza post-war. The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Hamas also seized about 250 hostages, 124 of whom Israel estimates remain in Gaza, including 37 the military says are dead.

Israel's military retaliation against Hamas has resulted in at least 35,386 deaths, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Additionally, an Israeli siege has caused severe food shortages and the threat of famine in Gaza.

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