Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet amid internal conflict over Gaza attack

“The war cabinet does not exist”“It was a coalition agreement with Gantz at his request,” Netanyahu said, according to the newspaper Israel Hayom. “Once Gantz left, that platform ceased to exist,” he added, before adding that he would continue to consult on sensitive issues with certain political groups.

Gantz announced he was leaving the war cabinet – made up of three members and three observers – which he believed Lack of a clear strategy to end the military offensive in Gaza, accusing Netanyahu of “preventing us from achieving a real victory” in the Strip.

Soon after, Eisenkot announced that he was following in Gantz’s footsteps and leaving his position as an observer in the war cabinet, arguing that “the cabinet has long been prevented from making the decisive decisions necessary to realize the war aims and improve Israel’s strategic position”.

In recent weeks, divisions have deepened not only in the war cabinet but also within the coalition government led by Netanyahu over the tactics of the offensive against Gaza and possible agreements with Hamas for the release of hostages still held in Gaza after the October 7 attacks that killed nearly 1,200 people.

The conflict is “on the verge of escalation”.

Also this Monday, the Israeli military accused the Shiite militia party Hezbollah of “increasing its aggression” against Israeli territory and warned that the situation was “on the verge” of an escalation of the conflict, which “could have catastrophic consequences for Lebanon” and the region.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagar said, “Hezbollah’s escalation of aggression brings us to the brink of a wider conflict that could have devastating consequences for Lebanon and the region.” He said the group had launched more than 5,000 attacks using rockets, anti-tank missiles and drones in more than eight months of conflict.

Thus, he stressed that “Hezbollah is endangering Lebanon’s future by continuing to act as a shield for Hamas”, in reference to the fact that hostilities erupted a day after the Palestinian Islamist group carried out its attacks against Israeli territory on 7 October, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of about 240 people.

“a shield for Hamas terrorists who murdered the elderly, raped women, burned children, and kidnapped Jews, Muslims, and Christians during their October 7 massacre,” before repeating that “when Israel says it will not allow October 7, no matter what the limits, it means that.”

Hagar has stressed that “Israel will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens until security is restored along the border with Lebanon” and has accused Hezbollah of “refusing to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701” and criticized Lebanon for failing to force the group to comply.

“One way or another we will ensure the safe return of Israelis to their homes in northern Israel. “This is not a matter of negotiation,” argued Hagari, who warned that “Iran’s terrorist allies are dragging the region toward destruction.”

“Israel will continue to fight Iran’s axis of evil on all fronts, including in Gaza and Lebanon, as we work for a secure future for the Middle East,” he said. “October 7 cannot happen again on any of Israel’s borders. Israel has a duty to protect its citizens. We will fulfill this duty at any cost,” he concluded.

The Israeli army and Hezbollah – backed by Iran and which has significant political weight in Lebanon – have been engaged in a series of clashes since October 8, a day after attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian factions. Since then, Gazan authorities controlled by the Islamist group have reported the deaths of more than 37,300 Palestinians.

Tensions have been rising in recent weeks and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently warned that the Israeli army was “ready for very powerful action” along the border with Lebanon. In response, Hezbollah’s ‘number two’, Naim Qassem, warned last week that an expansion of the conflict would lead to “devastation and destruction” in Israel.