Netanyahu disbands war cabinet amid internal strife and resignations
17 June 2024 13:58
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to abolish the council appointed to oversee Israel's retaliatory operations in the Gaza Strip. The war cabinet was formed on 11 October, following the massacre committed on 7 October 2023 by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas in the Jewish state. The decision to dissolve it was made on Sunday evening.
Israeli media reported the dissolution of the war cabinet on Monday. However, some had expected a move from the Prime Minister for about a week.
One reason is what happened on 10 June. Former Defence Minister Benny Gantz then announced that he was leaving the cabinet comprising six department heads.
He also called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to set a date for early parliamentary elections and urged Defence Minister Yoav Galant to leave the government.
Along with Gantz, former Chief of General Staff General Gadi Eizenkot, who served as an observer in the dissolved cabinet, he was also left. He was troubled by the lack of a clear strategy for continuing the war in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu dissolved the war cabinet
This resignation was announced to the Prime Minister as early as May. At that time, Gantz demanded that Netanyahu commit to implementing his vision for ending the conflict in Gaza. This concept had to specify who would manage the territory after the war with Hamas ended.
Gantz announced that he supports the ceasefire proposal with Hamas put forward by U.S. President Joe Biden in exchange for the release of hostages and stated that he expects the Prime Minister to have sufficient courage to implement this plan.
The decision to dissolve the cabinet was influenced by Gantz's resignation and the positions of two far-right ministers. Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for their inclusion in the cabinet. This could have deepened Israel's conflict with its allies.
Reuters explained that Netanyahu would now conduct consultations regarding the war in the Gaza Strip with a small group of ministers. This council includes Defence Minister Yoav Galant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a former war cabinet member.
