Vikrant Shekhawat : Jun 10, 2024, 08:25 AM
Israel-Hamas News: There has been a long-running war between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, Israel's War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz announced his resignation from the emergency government on Sunday. Gantz said that Prime Minister Netanyahu is preventing us from moving towards victory. So I resign from the emergency government. Although the departure of Gantz's party will not pose any immediate threat to the Netanyahu government. But it can still have serious implications. This will make Netanyahu dependent on the hardliners, which will lead to no end to the Gaza war and the possibility of an escalation in the fighting with Lebanese Hezbollah has increased.Netanyahu was given an ultimatumLast month, Gantz gave Netanyahu a deadline of June 8 to come up with a clear strategy for Gaza, where Israel is pressing for a devastating military strike against the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas. Netanyahu rejected the ultimatum soon after it was given.Politics overshadows strategic decisionsOn Sunday, Gantz said politics was overshadowing deadly strategic decisions in Netanyahu's cabinet. He said it was a painful decision to leave when hostages were still in Gaza and soldiers were fighting there. Gantz said Netanyahu is preventing us from moving towards true victory. So we are leaving the emergency government today with a heavy heart but with full confidence.This is not the time to leave the battlefield
Netanyahu responded in a social media post, telling Gantz that this is not the time to leave the battlefield. With Gantz gone, Netanyahu will lose the support of the centrist faction that has helped bolster support for the government in Israel and abroad, at a time of increasing diplomatic and domestic pressure eight months after the Gaza war.While his coalition controls 64 of the 120 seats in parliament, Netanyahu will now have to rely more on political support from ultra-nationalist parties whose leaders angered Washington even before the war and who have called for Israel's full occupation of Gaza.Public pressure likely to increaseIt is likely to intensify already strained relations with the US and increase public pressure at home, as the months-long military campaign has still not met its stated goals of the destruction of Hamas and the return of more than 100 remaining hostages held in Gaza.Gantz joined Netanyahu's war cabinet shortly after October 7, where he, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant received the only votes. On Sunday, Gantz described Galant, who has feuded with Netanyahu and some ultra-nationalist ministers, as a brave leader and called on him to do the right thing, though he did not elaborate on what that meant.Israel's position abroadFinance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement that Gantz is giving Israel's enemies what they want. Asked if he was worried that his departure would affect Israel's position abroad, Gantz said both Galant and Netanyahu knew what needed to be done.
Netanyahu responded in a social media post, telling Gantz that this is not the time to leave the battlefield. With Gantz gone, Netanyahu will lose the support of the centrist faction that has helped bolster support for the government in Israel and abroad, at a time of increasing diplomatic and domestic pressure eight months after the Gaza war.While his coalition controls 64 of the 120 seats in parliament, Netanyahu will now have to rely more on political support from ultra-nationalist parties whose leaders angered Washington even before the war and who have called for Israel's full occupation of Gaza.Public pressure likely to increaseIt is likely to intensify already strained relations with the US and increase public pressure at home, as the months-long military campaign has still not met its stated goals of the destruction of Hamas and the return of more than 100 remaining hostages held in Gaza.Gantz joined Netanyahu's war cabinet shortly after October 7, where he, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant received the only votes. On Sunday, Gantz described Galant, who has feuded with Netanyahu and some ultra-nationalist ministers, as a brave leader and called on him to do the right thing, though he did not elaborate on what that meant.Israel's position abroadFinance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said in a statement that Gantz is giving Israel's enemies what they want. Asked if he was worried that his departure would affect Israel's position abroad, Gantz said both Galant and Netanyahu knew what needed to be done.