The Israeli minister threatened to resign
Last Updated on June 9, 2024 10:38 am
Israeli forces have been operating in the Palestinian Gaza Strip for more than eight months. Even after a long campaign in the valley, they could not achieve their goal. Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s wartime cabinet, has threatened to resign in such a situation.
Anadolu news agency reported this information in a report on Friday (June 7).
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s wartime cabinet, may resign from the emergency government on Saturday, according to reports. He made the threat after a deadline to draw up a clear plan for “conquest” in the Gaza Strip expired last month.
Gantz may hand in his resignation because of the failure to come up with a concrete plan for Gaza, according to Israeli media outlet Kan. The United States has been pressing against his decision. The country requested him to remain in his post.
The families of the Israeli hostages have also called for the Palestinian Authority to not resign until a prisoner exchange deal is reached with Hamas, Kan said.
The war in Gaza started on October 7. Gantz then joined Israel’s wartime cabinet on October 11. He gave an ultimatum to draw up a comprehensive post-war plan for the Gaza Strip by June 4. He threatened to resign if the plan was not prepared by this time.
Earlier, US President Joe Biden proposed three levels to end the war in Gaza. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to break the alliance if the US President accepts this plan. The country’s Finance Minister Bejaler Smutrich and Security Affairs Minister Itamar Ben-Givir said they were opposed to any deal before Hamas was eliminated.
Last Saturday (01 June) in a post on social media X, Israel’s Finance Minister Smatrich said that he will not be in the government if the proposed framework is accepted and the war ends without eliminating Hamas and returning the hostages.
Security Minister Ben-Givir spoke in the same tone as the Finance Minister. He said the agreement meant an end to the war and a withdrawal from the goal of eliminating Hamas. It’s a reckless deal. Israel’s security is under threat in this agreement. He promised to break up the ruling coalition rather than agree to a ceasefire.
On October 7, Hamas entered southern Israel and carried out an unprecedented attack, killing 1,200 Israelis and detaining about 250 Israelis and foreign citizens in Gaza. On the same day, Israel declared war on the Palestinian independence movement to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of its prisoners. Hamas released 110 Israeli prisoners in exchange for a seven-day ceasefire agreement last November, but they still hold more than a hundred prisoners.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Health of Gaza said that since October 7, the number of people killed in the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip has exceeded 35 thousand. Most of them are women and children. Apart from this, more than 77 thousand people have been injured so far.