Netanyahu Disbands Israeli War Cabinet After Gantz Withdrawal in Ongoing Gaza Conflict

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded the country's war cabinet on June 17, 2024. The decision came just over a week after opposition leader Benny Gantz withdrew from the body. An Israeli official confirmed the disbandment to CNN.

The war cabinet had been formed to oversee military operations in the Israel-Hamas war. Gantz's exit highlighted internal divisions within Israel's leadership on the Gaza strategy. Netanyahu now manages war decisions through a smaller security cabinet.

13, 2024, a senior Hamas official told CNN that the US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal does not satisfy Hamas' demands for a permanent end to the war.

The official, identified as Osama Hamdan, added that no one knows how many of the hostages held in Gaza are alive. Hamas has maintained that any agreement must include a full Israeli withdrawal and cessation of hostilities. The proposal, supported by the United States, aims to secure a temporary truce and hostage releases.

However, Hamas officials have repeatedly stated that it falls short of addressing core issues like the war's conclusion. Negotiations have stalled amid these disagreements.

“The US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal doesn't meet Hamas' demands for an end to the war.”

The Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages taken to Gaza. Israeli military operations in Gaza have led to more than 37,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health authorities.