Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz is expected to resign from the emergency government Saturday, following the expiration of a deadline he set last month for developing a clear plan “to achieve victory” in the Gaza Strip, Ednews reports via KAN.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Gantz intends to submit his resignation due to the failure to formulate the specified plan.
The decision comes despite pressure from the US, which considers him a “close partner” and has urged him to remain in office.
The families of Israeli hostages in Gaza have also urged Gantz not to resign until a prisoner exchange agreement is reached with Hamas. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office has scheduled an expanded ministerial discussion for Sunday, just after Gantz’s self-imposed deadline, KAN added.
Gantz, who joined the government on Oct. 11, issued a stern ultimatum to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 18: Develop a comprehensive post-war plan for the Gaza Strip by June 8, or he will resign.
The broadcaster noted that his proposed plan encompasses several key elements: the return of hostages from Gaza, undermining Hamas’s rule, the disarmament of the Gaza Strip, establishing a European-Arab coalition to manage the region, ensuring the return of northern residents to their homes, and universal military service for all Israelis.
