Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz quits emergency government

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has quit the emergency government in a row over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza.

Speaking during a news conference on Sunday where he announced his resignation, Mr Gantz said Mr Netanyahu “is preventing us from approaching true victory”.

Last month, Mr Gantz set an 8 June deadline for Mr Netanyahu to lay out how Israel would achieve its six “strategic goals”, including the end of Hamas rule in Gaza and the establishment of a multinational civilian administration for the territory.

Mr Netanyahu dismissed the comments at the time as “washed-up words” that would mean “defeat for Israel”.

Mr Gantz had been a member of Israel’s key decision making “war cabinet”, along with the prime minister and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.