War cabinet member Gantz's political party in Israel calls for fresh polls.
The National Unity Party of Gantz, affiliated with the war cabinet, has presented a bill to disband the 25th Knesset, they declared.
The Likud Party, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responded by claiming that "dissolving the unity government is a delight" for Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, "a surrender to global pressures, and a crushing setback for efforts to free our hostages."
Regular elections in Israel are not scheduled until the end of 2026. Earlier, the Likud had warned that early elections would hamper the Israeli army's efforts against Hamas. Gantz had set a deadline for the submission of a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip on May 19 and threatened to resign.
The Gaza War began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in at least 1,189 fatalities, according to Israeli records. Moreover, the Islamists abducted 252 individuals as captives in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Israel has been engaging in large-scale military operations in the Gaza Strip since then. As per the latest figures from the Health Ministry under Hamas' control, which cannot be confirmed independently, more than 36,200 people have lost their lives so far.
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- Following this announcement, Benny Gantz's New Unity Party, a member of the Knesset and part of the war cabinet, has proposed a bill for a new election to disband the current 25th Knesset.
- The Likud Party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also a prominent Member of the Knesset and the country's Prime Minister, expressed their opposition to these new elections, stating that it would please Hamas leader Jahja Sinwar in the Gaza Strip.
- The Likud Party argued that holding new elections would be a surrender to global pressures and a significant setback for attempting to secure the release of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
- The Likud Party, affiliated with the current government, had previously stated that early elections would hinder Israel's military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
- Gantz, the leader of the New Unity Party, had issued an ultimatum on May 19, stating that he would resign if a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip was not submitted by that date.
- The Hamas-led organization, Harakat el-Mukawame el-Islamije, initiated a violent attack on Israel on October 7, resulting in the fatalities of at least 1,189 individuals and the abduction of 252 others, according to Israeli records.
- Since the Gaza War began, Israel has been conducting extensive military operations in the Gaza Strip, leading to the death of over 36,200 people, based on figures from the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in the region, although these numbers cannot be verified independently.
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