Gantz issues ultimatum

Israel’s war cabinet on the brink of collapse

Ex-defense minister and leading opposition figure Benny Gantz issues an ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(Bild: AFP)

In Israel, the war cabinet formed after the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas in October is on the verge of collapse. Leading opposition politician Benny Gantz has threatened to resign from the cabinet if it is unable to agree on a six-point plan for the Gaza conflict by June 8. This plan is intended to define the post-war order for the Palestinian territory and also end the exemption of orthodox Jews from Israeli military service.

In Israel, the war cabinet formed after the attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on 7 October is on the verge of collapse. Leading opposition politician Benny Gantz has threatened to resign from the cabinet if it is unable to agree on a six-point plan for the Gaza conflict by June 8.

This plan is intended to define the post-war order for the Palestinian territory and also end the exemption of orthodox Jews from Israeli military service.

Even the USA is distancing itself from Israel
If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fails to meet expectations, his party will leave the wartime government, emphasized former army chief and ex-defence minister Gantz.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under enormous pressure.(Bild: AP)

Addressing Netanyahu, he said: "The people of Israel are looking to you. You have to decide: Victory or disaster."

Struggling for a Gaza solution
The government has been wrestling for weeks with the question of how Israel should deal with the Gaza Strip after the defeat of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. Netanyahu's extreme right-wing coalition partners want to permanently occupy the Palestinian territory and expel the local population. Gantz made his comments one day before the visit of the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, to Israel.

The US government has distanced itself from its long-standing ally under strong domestic political pressure. US President Joe Biden has threatened to stop American military aid if the country goes ahead with the controversial offensive in the border town of Rafah, the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu is sticking to his plans to capture the town because the Hamas leadership is also believed to be there.