
Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz resigned from the emergency unity government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening, urging Netanyahu to hold early elections “as soon as possible” during a press conference in Tel Aviv.
Gantz, who had joined the government on October 7, set a deadline of June 8 for Netanyahu to draft a post-war plan for Gaza or face his departure from the coalition.
Despite delaying his planned press conference on Saturday, Gantz’s resignation highlights the ongoing tension within the Israeli government as it continues its offensive on Gaza, initiated after a Hamas attack on October 7.
This offensive persists despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, with local health authorities reporting over 37,000 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 84,500 injured.
The conflict, now eight months long, has left Gaza in ruins under a blockade of essential supplies.
Accusations of genocide against Israel are under consideration at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered Tel Aviv to halt its operations in Rafah, a southern city where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge before it was invaded on May 6.