Netanyahu’s Likud party has rejected Gantz’s demand.
Prime Minister in Israel Benjamin Netanyahu member of the war cabinet of the government led by, former commander of the armed forces Benny Gantz demands early parliamentary elections in the country for next September.
According to Gantz, early elections would prevent the nation from being divided. He did not say whether he intends to leave the war cabinet if he fails to get support for early elections.
Netanyahu’s Likud party has rejected Gantz’s demand, which it says would lead to division, affect the fighting in Rafah and make it difficult for an agreement leading to the release of the hostages to come about, says Financial Times.
– Benny Gantz must stop engaging in petty politics at a moment like this, which is fatal for the state of Israel and in the middle of a war, Likud said in a press release.
If the date is not changed, the next election will be in 2026, The Times of Israel tells.
According to the latest polls, Gantz would be clearly ahead of Netanyahu in support and would therefore be the likely choice for the country’s new prime minister. The military actions of the Netanyahu government in Gaza are gathering ever-expanding criticism from, among others, its main ally the United States.
Source: AFP, STT