The rift in the Israeli government is deepening as after the appeal of the Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallad, to Benjamin Netanyahu to put together a clear plan for the post-war governance of Gaza, it was his turn today minister Benny Gantz, threatening to withdraw his support if the prime minister does not present a concrete plan by June 8. “He sent an ultimatum to the prime minister instead of to Hamas” was Netanyahu’s typical response.

In particular, Israel’s War Minister Benny Gantz asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday to commit to a plan that would define who would rule the region after the war with Hamas.

At a press conference, Gantz said he wanted the war cabinet to put together a six-point plan by June 8. If his expectations are not met, he said, he will withdraw his centrist party from the conservative prime minister’s emergency government.

The statement comes days after Defense Minister Yoav Gallad warned the prime minister that he must draw up a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip, in a speech where he said war gains were being eroded by a lack of planning, while Israel’s long-term security was at stake. .

Among other things, Gantz said that when the National Party joined the emergency coalition, days after the October 7 Hamas massacre in southern Israel, there was initially cohesive leadership and mistakes were avoided.

But “recently, something went wrong,” he added, after praising the unity that allowed the IDF to succeed on the battlefield and bring home more than 100 hostages. “No critical decisions were made. The leadership decisions needed to ensure victory were not made.”

“A small minority has seized the bridge of the Israeli ship and is sailing towards the rocks,” the Israeli minister stressed.

“A war is only won with a clear and realistic strategic compass,” Gantz said, referring to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reluctance to draw up a plan for post-Hamas Gaza and the slow pace of military operations in recent months.

Netanyahu on Ganj: “He sent an ultimatum to the prime minister instead of sending to Hamas”

Benjamin Netanyahu gave a sharp response to the fierce criticism of Benny Gantz with a statement issued by the prime minister’s office. “He sent an ultimatum to the prime minister instead of to Hamas” was Netanyahu’s typical response.

Specifically, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Gantz’s demands would mean “the end of the war and defeat for Israel, the release of the majority of hostages, leaving Hamas in power and the creation of a Palestinian state.”

If Ganj is truly prioritizing the national interest rather than overthrowing the government, the prime minister’s office continues, he needs to answer three questions:

  • Does Gantz want the Rafah operation over, and if so, why is he threatening to topple the unity government during the IDF operation?
  • Does he oppose Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza, even if Mahmoud Abbas is not involved?
  • Would he support a Palestinian state as part of a normalization process with Saudi Arabia?

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is determined to eliminate the ranks of Hamas,” the statement said, “he opposes the Palestinian Authority’s involvement in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state that will inevitably be a state of terror.”

“Netanyahu,” the statement continued, “believes that a unity government is the key to achieving the war objectives, “and expects Gantz to make his positions on these issues clear to the public.”