Gaza war: Israel’s Netanyahu disbands war cabinet, days after Benny Gantz’s departure

The war cabinet was formed in the early days of the war. Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the start of the war in October and also included Gantz’s partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers.

Gantz and Eisenkot both left the government last week, over what they said was Netanyahu’s failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war.

Gantz had demanded that a small decision-making body steer the war, in a bid to sideline far-right members of Netanyahu’s government.

It was made up of three members — Gantz, Netanyahu and Gallant — and together they made important decisions throughout the course of the war.

Gantz’s departure, while not posing a direct threat to Netanyahu’s rule, rocked Israeli politics at a sensitive time. The popular former military chief was seen as a statesman who boosted Israel’s credibility with its international partners at a time when Israel finds itself at its most isolated.

Netanyahu’s government is Israel’s most religious and right-wing ever. In Israel’s fractious parliamentary system, Netanyahu relies on a group of small parties to help keep his government afloat and without the support of Gantz’s party, Netanyahu could be more beholden to the far-right allies who have repeatedly pledged to topple the government if their demands are not met.

Critics say Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making has been influenced by the ultranationalists in his government. Netanyahu denies the accusations and says he has the country’s best interests in mind.

Additional reporting by Reuters