Member of Israel’s War Cabinet says he’ll quit the government June 8 unless there’s a new war plan

[Pelican Press 0]

Member of *******’s War Cabinet says he’ll quit the government June 8 unless there’s a new war plan

******** war cabinet member Benny Gantz arrives at the US State Department ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on March 5, 2024 in Washington DC.

Drew Angerer | AFP | Getty Images

Benny Gantz, a centrist member of *******’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn’t adopt a new plan in three weeks’ time for the war in Gaza, a move that would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more reliant on his far-right allies.

His announcement escalates a divide within *******’s leadership more than seven months into a war in which it has yet to accomplish its stated goals of dismantling ****** and returning scores of hostages abducted in the Oct. 7 *******.

Gantz spelled out a six-point plan that includes the return of scores of hostages, ending ******’ rule, demilitarizing the Gaza strip and establishing an international administration of civilian affairs. It also supports efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.

He says if it is not adopted by June 8 he will quit the government. “If you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss — we will be forced to quit the government,” he said.

Gantz, a popular politician and longtime political rival of Netanyahu, joined his coalition and the War Cabinet in the early days of the war.

The departure of the former military chief of staff and defense minister would leave Netanyahu even more beholden to far-right allies who have taken a hard line on negotiations over a cease-***** and ******** release, and who believe ******* should occupy Gaza and rebuild ******* settlements there.

Gantz spoke days after ******** Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the War Cabinet,

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

he has repeatedly pleaded with the Cabinet to decide on a postwar vision for Gaza that would see the creation of a new ************ civilian leadership.

Netanyahu is under growing pressure on multiple fronts. Hard-liners in his government want the military offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah to press ahead with the goal of crushing ******. Top ally the U.S. and others have warned against the offensive on a city where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million had sheltered — hundreds of thousands have now fled — and they have threatened to scale back support over Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

The U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, will be in Saudi Arabia and ******* this weekend to discuss the war and is scheduled on Sunday to meet with Netanyahu, who has declared that ******* would “stand alone” if needed.

Many Israelis, anguished over the hostages and accusing Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of all else, want a deal to stop the fighting and get them freed. There was fresh frustration Friday when the military said its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three hostages ******* by ****** in the Oct. 7 *******. The discovery of the body of a fourth ******** was announced Saturday.

The latest talks in pursuit of a cease-*****, mediated by Qatar, the ******* States and Egypt, have brought little. A vision beyond the war is also uncertain.

The war began after ******’ Oct. 7 ******* on southern ******* that ******* 1,200 people and took 250 others ********. ******* says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.

The ******** offensive has ******* more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say, while hundreds more have been ******* in the occupied West Bank.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Gaza,*******,Government and politics,Foreign policy,Benjamin Netanyahu,business news
#Member #Israels #War #Cabinet #***** #quit #government #June #war #plan

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

For verified travel tips and real support, visit: https://hopzone.eu/