Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved Israel’s six-member war cabinet.
Reports on Monday said Netanyahu announced the decision at a meeting of the political security cabinet the previous evening.
This followed the exit of the coalition leader, Benny Gantz from the government.
Nationalist-religious Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who have demanded Israel must continue its bombardment of Gaza despite calls for some restraint from allies including the United States, had called for a new war cabinet to be formed featuring coalition party leaders.
However, Netanyahu has reportedly turned them down.
Netanyahu said: “The cabinet was in the coalition agreement with Gantz, at his request. As soon as Gantz left – there was no need for a cabinet any more.”
The Israeli premier is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who had been in the war cabinet.
