After Israeli War Council members Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot threatened to withdraw and gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a deadline until June 6th to approve post-war plans for Gaza, Netanyahu began considering his options.
Israeli sources reported that the Prime Minister intends to dissolve the War Council so as not to include the ministers from the extreme right, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, as reported by the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
Mandatory Ministerial Appointments
If Gantz and Eisenkot withdraw, Netanyahu will be obliged to appoint two other ministers from the expanded government in their place, at a time when Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are demanding to join the council. The inclusion of Gantz and Eisenkot in the war government allowed Netanyahu to make tactical and even strategic decisions that freed him from the political pressures of the right-wing members in his coalition, according to the same sources.
This comes as the disagreement between Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant intensifies, especially since they have not spoken for about two weeks after Gallant criticized Netanyahu’s plans for a permanent Israeli presence in Gaza at a press conference, as reported by the broadcasting authority.
Who Could it Be?
Netanyahu accuses Gallant of leaking details from sensitive security meetings. Previously, the Prime Minister said during a cabinet meeting, “Every time I sit in limited meetings with the Defense Minister, and the heads of Mossad and Shin Bet, everything gets leaked.” He added, “I know it’s not the head of Mossad or Shin Bet, so who could it be?”
It should be noted that two weeks ago, Gallant urged Netanyahu to make a decision regarding the “day after” the war in Gaza, arguing that failure to decide on this issue exposes Israel to risk. The day after Gallant’s criticism, the Israeli Prime Minister stated that he would speak to his Defense Minister, but this has not yet occurred.
Netanyahu faces sharp criticism domestically and internationally for not specifying an end date to the war, more than seven months after it erupted following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli settlements and military bases around Gaza on October 7th.
