War cabinet member Benny Gantz threatens to leave Israeli government

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel's war cabinet, has threatened to leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

If the prime minister did not present a plan for the post-war order in the Gaza Strip by June 8, he and other members of the centre-right National Union party, which he leads, would leave the cabinet, Gantz said on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv.

The war cabinet was formed just days after the October 7 Hamas attacks.

The 64-year-old retired army general and former defence minister joined the war cabinet as a minister without portfolio.

The parties involved sought to demonstrate national unity in the wake of the unprecedented attacks.

His National Union is actually an opposition party. In opinion polls, it is currently far ahead of Netanyahu's Likud party.

The attack by Hamas and other terrorist groups, in which 1,200 people were killed and a further 250 deported to the Gaza Strip, triggered the Gaza war. Israel responded with massive airstrikes and a ground offensive.

However, Israel has since been criticised internationally for the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

In the country itself, many criticise the fact that the war has not brought a decisive victory even after more than seven months. The fact that more than 100 hostages are still being held by Hamas has also led to criticism of the government.

Netanyahu has governed together with far-right and ultra-religious parties since the end of 2022. So far, he has refused to present a plan for the administration and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after the end of the war.