Israel’s centrist War Cabinet Minister, Benny Gantz, has announced his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government and called for new elections.
Gantz offered reason for his resignation, saying “Unfortunately, Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward the real victory. Strategic decisions are met with hesitation due to political considerations,” Gantz said.
Echoing increasing public protest against Netanyahu’s government, Gantz called for a new round of elections in the fall, just as he also urged Netanyahu to set an agreed date to hold them.
Responding to Gantz resignation, Netanyahu released a statement saying that “Israel is in an existential war on several fronts
“Benny, this is not the time to abandon the campaign.”
In a televised press conference, Gantz accused Netanyahu of prioritising his political survival over a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of about 100 hostages held in Gaza.
Gantz’s decision to withdraw his centrist party from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition left it with extremist ministers, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who advocate for reoccupying the Gaza Strip and expanding Israeli settlements there.
His resignation followed a May ultimatum he issued to the right-wing prime minister, demanding that Netanyahu develop a clear post-conflict strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been conducting a fatal assault, and agree to a hostage-ceasefire agreement.
Source: (Xinhua)
