Setback to Netanyahu: Israel Minister Benny Gantz quits

Jerusalem: In Israel, the minister of Netanyahu’s emergency government, Benny Gantz, announced his resignation, serving as a setback to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz also called for an early election, Al Jazeera reported.

Gantz said that Netanyahu is preventing the country from advancing to true victory. He is leaving the emergency government with a heavy heart but with full confidence, he said in a news conference on Sunday.

Calling for early elections, he said that there should be elections that eventually establish a government that will win the trust of the people and well as able to face challenges.

“I call on Netanyahu: set an agreed election date,” Al Jazeera quoted the Gantz.

Last month, Gantz had threatened to leave the emergency government, which was formed to monitor the war in Gaza. He had said that he would leave if Netanyahu came up with no plan for a war-torn Palestine after the war. As per the latest updates, the eight-month-long deadly siege in Gaza has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians since October 7.

Gantz further said that demonstrations against the Netanyahu government are important but must be lawful. They must not encourage hatred or violence.

“The protests are important, however, they need to be conducted in a legal manner and they must not encourage hatred. We are not each other’s enemies. Our enemies are outside of our borders,” he told reporters.

He continued that he will be part of a national unity government that includes all the centrist parties. Only such a move will allow Israel to face all challenges “that stand before us, even with Netanyahu”, he said.

He called for a true and genuine unity instead of partial unity, Al Jazeera reported.