Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to Benny Gantz’s resignation as Israeli War Cabinet Minister, stating “Now is the time to consolidate and not give up,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
Gantz resigned on Sunday, accusing Netanyahu of hindering Israel‘s chances of achieving a true victory and failing to prioritize the nation’s interests over political matters. He had warned last month that he would step down if the post-war strategy was not effective.
Gantz, a former Israeli military leader turned political figure, joined Netanyahu’s government in early October amid tensions with Hamas.
Before his resignation, Gantz had discussed the possibility of holding early elections to maintain unity in the nation. Netanyahu, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Israel, is under pressure to call for early elections from various quarters.
The timing of Gantz’s resignation followed Israel’s successful rescue of 4 hostages during a military operation that resulted in the death of 274 Palestinians. Hamas controls the Gaza Health Ministry. Gantz delayed his announcement out of respect for the released hostages and apologized to their families in his resignation speech.
Netanyahu, in a public address on X.com (formerly Twitter), vowed to continue the fight until all war objectives were met, starting with the release of all hostages and dismantling Hamas.
Netanyahu also expressed openness to support from Zionist groups in safeguarding Israeli citizens against their adversaries, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
לפני שעות אחדות מדינת ישראל כולה ליוותה בכאב ובהצדעה את גיבור ישראל ארנון זמורה ז״ל.
ישראל נמצאת במלחמה קיומית בכמה חזיתות. בני, זה לא הזמן לנטוש את המערכה – זה הזמן לאחד את הכוחות.
אזרחי ישראל, נמשיך עד לניצחון והשגת כל מטרות המלחמה, ובראשן שחרור כל חטופינו וחיסול החמאס.
דלתי…
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) June 9, 2024
This story is developing and will be updated.
New information added on 6/9/2024 at 3:12 pm