Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem on June 5, 2024. GIL COHEN-MAGEN/Pool via REUTERS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet, according to an Israeli official on Monday. This decision follows the recent departure of centrist former general Benny Gantz from the government, a move that was widely anticipated.
Netanyahu is now expected to consult on the Gaza war with a smaller group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who were previously part of the war cabinet. The dissolution of the war cabinet comes amid demands from nationalist-religious coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet. Their inclusion would have likely exacerbated tensions with international allies, including the United States.
The war cabinet was established after Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the onset of the war in October. It also included Gantz’s partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious Shas party, as observers.
Gantz and Eisenkot both resigned from the government last week, citing Netanyahu’s failure to formulate a coherent strategy for the Gaza war as their primary reason for leaving.
COMMENTS