Internal Rift Deepens As Israeli FM Threatens to Collapse Government Over Gaza War Goals

Occupied Jerusalem: A major political rift has emerged within the Israeli government following the approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal for military control over Gaza by the Security Cabinet. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to bring down the government and call for new elections in response to the plan.

During a recent Security Cabinet meeting, Smotrich expressed strong opposition to Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza conflict. He warned that if the government deviates from the original objectives of the war, it would pose an existential threat to Israel.

Smotrich stated that he had previously set aside his concerns, hoping the military was working toward a complete victory. However, he has now lost confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership.

“From my point of view, we can halt everything and let the people decide,” he said. “I no longer believe the Prime Minister can lead the army to a decisive victory. It seems he doesn’t even intend to do so.”

Echoing Smotrich’s sentiments, Zvi Sukkot, a Member of Parliament from the Religious Zionism Party, also warned that abandoning the war’s goals would lead him to vote in favor of dissolving the government.

“If we return to the situation of October 6, 2023, and abandon our war objectives, it will be an existential danger to Israel. In that case, immediate elections are essential,” Sukkot said.

This political turmoil follows the Israeli Cabinet’s recent approval of Netanyahu’s plan for military control in Gaza.

In a statement issued a day earlier, Netanyahu clarified that the objective of the military operation is not to occupy Gaza but to remove it from Hamas’s control. He added that a civil administrative government will be established in Gaza, with no role for either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

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