Israeli war cabinet minister, Benny Gantz, has threatened to resign unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sets out a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip.
Gantz set an June 8 deadline for a plan to achieve six ‘strategic goals’, including the end of Hamas rule in Gaza and the establishment of a multi-national civilian administration for the territory.
Gantz was speaking just days after another war cabinet member, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, urged Netanyahu to state publicly that Israel had no plans to take over civilian and military rule in Gaza.
He said, If you put the national over personal, you will find in us partners in the struggle. But if you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss, we will be forced to quit the government.
Netanyahu dismissed the comments as washed-up words that would mean defeat for Israel. According to him, meeting Gantzs demands would lead to the end of the war and a defeat for Israel, the abandoning of most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact and the establishment of a Palestinian State.
The growing rift comes as fighting rages at both ends of the Gaza Strip, with Israeli forces operating in the southern city of Rafah and the northern town of Jabalia, one of Gazas historic refugee camps and an area the Israeli military previously said it had clear of Hamas fighters.
Israels war cabinet was established after Hamas attacked Israeli communities near Gaza on 7 October, killing around 1,200 people and taking hostages. It’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed 35,386 people, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.
The return of the Israeli military to parts of northern Gaza, like Jabalia, which were previously declared clear of Hamas, has raised doubts about the governments strategy for eliminating the group.
Gantz proposed an American, European, Arab, and Palestinian administration that could manage civilian affairs in Gaza while the foundations are laid for a future alternative government. He added that Israel could maintain a degree of security control in the meantime.
Late on Saturday, Israel issued new evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, saying armed groups had fired rockets towards its territory and launched air strikes and raids on targets in the east of the city.
Last week, Israel began operations in the southern city of Rafah to which civilians from elsewhere in Gaza had previously been told to evacuate saying it needed to enter the city in order to target Hamas last remaining strongholds.
