Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded the six-member war cabinet, according to an Israeli official on Monday, following the exit of centrist former general Benny Gantz from the government. Netanyahu had faced pressure from his nationalist-religious coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet, a move that would have heightened tensions with international allies, including the United States.
The forum was established when Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government
The forum was established when Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the beginning of the war in October. It also included Gantz’s ally Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, leader of the religious party Shas, as observers. Gantz and Eisenkot both exited the government last week, citing Netanyahu’s failure to develop a strategy for the Gaza war.
