Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s three-men war cabinet, will deliver a speech on Saturday evening, during which he is expected to announce his resignation from the emergency government.
The move is understood to come as a result from deep disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the vision for a post-war Gaza. Gantz set a deadline for Netanyahu to deliver a “day after” plan for the Palestinian enclave, which would include stipulating who might rule the territory in a scenario in which Hamas has been defeated.
Gantz’s office announced on Friday that he would give a press statement on Saturday evening at 8:40 PM.
Gantz would fulfill an ultimatum he set to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the previous month, demanding a commitment which would also stipulate who might rule the territory in a scenario in which Hamas has been defeated.
Netanyahu’s far-right partners are National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who asserted that they will not agree to a currently proposed deal with Hamas.
They repeatedly threatened to bring down the government if such a deal is adopted — though Netanyahu insisted that the current offer would enable Israel to fulfill its war goals — making Gantz’s presence in the coalition significant for the success of a deal.
Israel is awaiting Hamas’ official response to its most recent offer for a deal, though indications by the group suggest that it will decline the offer.
In his ultimatum last month, Gantz demanded that the war cabinet draw up a plan which would include returning the hostages and eliminating Hamas in Gaza. This would also allow for the return of thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes in the north and the south of Israel since October. 7.
Included in his demands was a call for the government to “create an international civilian governance mechanism for Gaza, including American, European, Arab, and Palestinian elements — which will also serve as a basis for a future alternative that is not Hamas and is not [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] Abbas,” and to advance normalization with Saudi Arabia — a main condition for the creation of a Palestinian state.
In response to Gantz’s press conference, Netanyahu issued a strong statement in which he accused his coalition partner of issuing an ultimatum that would lead to “an end to the war and defeat for Israel, abandoning the majority of the hostages, leaving Hamas in power, and creating a Palestinian state.”
