Following the departure of the centrist former general Benny Gantz, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the six-member war cabinet on Monday which is expected to impact the Israel-Hamas war and the ceasefire talks with Hamas. The disbanding of the group drew a reaction from the United States, with the National Security Council spokesman John Kirby asserting that since Gantz left, Netanyahu did not have many options left.
With the dissolving of the war cabinet, PM Netanyahu is now expected to consult the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who were part of the war cabinet. For the unversed, the war cabinet was set up five days after the Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli soil. The war cabinet included five members: PM Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, opposition leader Benny Gantz, and two “observers”- Ron Dermer and Gadi Eisenkot.
However, Gantz, Netanyahu’s most formidable political opponent, withdrew from the cabinet last week, citing the Israeli PM’s failure to devise a strategy for the conflict in Gaza and the future governance of the Gaza Strip. Accusing PM Netanyahu of putting his personal political considerations ahead of the post-war strategy, Gantz stated that Netanyahu prevented the war cabinet from moving forward to a real victory.
Meanwhile, reacting to PM Netanyahu’s decision to dissolve the War Cabinet, the White House called it an “internal” issue as the Cabinet was a “domestic measure”, formulated for advising the PM regarding war strategies. Spokesman Kirby further noted that ever since Gantz left the war cabinet, Netanyahu had little choice.
It is believed that as the war cabinet is disbanded, it would further distance PM Netanyahu from agreeing for a ceasefire in the war, which is now in its ninth month. With Gantz withdrawal, an Israeli leader who was more open to a ceasefire deal, Netanyahu would now rely on the members of his security Cabinet, some of whom oppose ceasefire deals and have voiced support for reoccupying Gaza, triggering fears that the war will be prolonged, while the humanitarian crisis would escalate.
Additionally, dissolving of the cabinet allows PM Netanyahu to draw out the war to stay in power. Critics believe that an end to the war would mean an investigation into the government’s failures on 7 October, raising likelihood of new elections at a time when numerous protests are calling on Netanyahu to resign. As of latest, the Israeli military announced a “tactical pause” of military activity along a route in southern Gaza to allow aid to be distributed, despite PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s disapproval of the same.
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