JERUSALEM. Israel’s centrist war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has delayed a statement he was scheduled to give on Saturday, where he was widely expected to announce his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government.
Gantz had given the conservative prime minister a June 8 deadline to present a clear post-war strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been conducting a devastating military offensive against the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas. However, following the news that Israeli forces had rescued four Israeli hostages alive from Gaza, Gantz’s spokespeople announced the postponement of his statement. No new time was provided for the address, which political commentators in leading Israeli newspapers anticipated would include his resignation.
The departure of Gantz’s centrist party would not immediately threaten Netanyahu’s governing coalition, which controls 64 of the 120 seats in parliament, but it could have significant implications. Without Gantz, Netanyahu would lose the support of a centrist bloc that has helped broaden the government’s base both in Israel and abroad. This loss comes at a time of increasing diplomatic and domestic pressure, eight months into the Gaza war.
Without Gantz, Netanyahu would have to rely more heavily on the support of ultra-nationalist parties. These parties, whose leaders had already angered Washington before the war, have since called for a complete Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. This shift would likely strain relations with the United States further and intensify public pressure at home, as the months-long military campaign has yet to achieve its stated goals of destroying Hamas and securing the release of the 120 remaining hostages held in Gaza.
Gantz’s exit might also signal limited prospects for success in the latest ceasefire efforts. Political analysts suggest he would have been more likely to remain if a deal seemed probable. Polls have shown Gantz, a former army commander and defense minister, to be the most formidable political rival to Netanyahu, whose image as a security hawk was damaged by the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Gantz joined a unity government shortly after the attack, stating he was putting aside political considerations for the national interest.
Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military announced the rescue of four hostages from Gaza. The hostages, identified as Noa Argamani, 25, Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, were abducted during Hamas’s raid on the Nova music festival near Gaza on October 7. They were taken to a hospital for medical evaluations and reported to be in good health. The successful rescue operation adds a new dimension to the already complex political landscape in Israel.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
