Israel’s war cabinet member Benny Gantz has threatened to quit the government of Benjamin Netanyahu should the prime minister fail to present a post-war plan for Gaza by June 8.
Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Gantz called on the cabinet to agree to a six-point plan laying out a vision for the besieged strip’s governance once the conflict is over.
The Israeli politician, a former defence minister, said that if his demands were not met, he would withdraw his centrist party from the emergency unity government formed last year to oversee the war on Gaza.
Gantz is seen as Netanyahu’s main political rival in Israel. He was a leading figure in the opposition before joining the war cabinet.
His ultimatum deepened the cracks within the Israeli government and added to the mounting pressure against Netanyahu amid increasing domestic and international criticism of his policies in Gaza.
Gantz’s plan calls for releasing Israeli captives in Gaza, demilitarising the territory and forming an international coalition with “American, European, Arab and Palestinian elements” to oversee its civil affairs.
Echoing Netanyahu’s position, Gantz said neither Hamas nor Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas can rule Gaza after the war.
Demilitarising Gaza would require completely dismantling Hamas’s military wing, which the Israeli military has failed to achieve after 225 days of fighting. The position also matches Netanyahu’s frequent calls for “total victory”.
Still, Gantz took a thinly veiled swipe at the prime minister and his far-right allies. “If you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss – we will be forced to quit the government,” he said.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 35,000 people and destroyed much of the besieged enclave. More than 100 Israeli captives remain in the territory.
Talks to reach a captives and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas appear to have stalled, with…
Original from www.aljazeera.com
