Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quits emergency government

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quits emergency government

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has resigned from the emergency government as divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza deepen. During a news conference in Tel Aviv, Gantz cited Netanyahu’s obstruction of achieving “true victory” as his reason for stepping down and called for the prime minister to set a date for elections. 

Netanyahu responded by urging Gantz to remain united during this critical time. Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff and leader of the centrist National Unity party, had joined the emergency government on October 11, 2023, following Hamas’s attacks. His resignation has been supported by opposition leader Yair Lapid and has prompted demands from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for a place in the war cabinet.

Gantz’s exit will not collapse the government but underscores significant political rifts regarding the war’s management. It also comes just ahead of the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who aims to press for a ceasefire agreement in the region. 

Additionally, Brigadier General Avi Rosenfeld, head of the IDF’s Gaza division, has resigned over his failure to prevent the October 7 attacks, marking the first such resignation among IDF combat commanders since the conflict began.