Deep Divide Rises Within Israeli Government As Tensions Escalate In Lebanon, Gaza | What We Know

As the threat of a full-on war in the Middle East looms, Israel's allies have called for the urgent consideration of a ceasefire. However,

With tensions escalating with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, deep divides in the Israeli government, over the course of action for the war, are now visible.

Following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a 21-day ceasefire, far-right Israeli minister Ben Gvir has threatened to leave the coalition government if any deal for a permanent truce is established.

With cracks visible in Netanyahu's government, the demand for a ceasefire and immediate release of the remaining hostages continues to grow across Israel.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the head of the Jewish Power party, threatened to suspend cooperation with the coalition on Thursday if a temporary deal with Hezbollah is reached.

“If a temporary cease-fire becomes permanent, we will resign from the government,” he said. If Gvir does resign and withdraw his support from the emergency coalition government, Netanyahu will lose his parliamentary majority, which in turn could trigger the collapse of the Israeli government.

Divide In The Israeli Government On The Rise

With a nationwide and global outrage over the escalating war in Gaza and now Lebanon, several Israeli ministers have spoken out against Prime Minister Netanyahu and his course of action for the conflict.

Earlier this year, opposition leader and war cabinet minister Benjamin Gantz announced his resignation from the emergency government.

Speaking at a news conference in June 2024, Gantz accused Netanyahu of "preventing us from approaching true victory, which is the justification for the painful ongoing crisis".

Along with his resignation, Gantz also called for an early election in Israel, which has been the demand of many Israelis since the war broke out on October 7, 2023.

Following Gantz' resignation, a right-wing surge has been expected in the government, with Ben Gvir demanding a seat in the war cabinet with Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Apart from Gantz, tensions have also been on the rise between Netanayhu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Netanyahu was due to fire Gallant from the post due to his opposition of the judicial overhaul in 2023.

However, due to public pressure, Gallant retained his post. As the war in Gaza nears one year of fighting, rumours of Netanyahu firing Gallant surfaced once again amid pressure from the PM's cabinet.

Netanyahu's cabinet has called for Gallant's resignation for months due to the Defence Minister's stance on an ultra-Orthodox military enlistment bill and his public row with the prime minister over Israel's demand for control over the Philadelphi Corridor in Gaza.

"The decision made Thursday was reached under the assumption that there is time, but if we want the hostages alive, there’s no time. The fact that we prioritize the Philadelphi Corridor at the cost of the lives of the hostages is a moral disgrace," Gallant was quoted as saying by Times Of Israel.

Apart from this, Israel ministers have also clashed over discussions of Gaza's governance once the war ends. While far-right ministers such as Ben Gvir and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich have openly called for more Israeli settlements in Gaza and the occupied West Bank region, many have called for an end of the war and sans-Hamas governance for Gaza.

In the initial months of the war, Netanyahu openly stated that Israel does not wish to control Gaza. However, with the war now on the 356th day, the Israeli PM has shifted his stance towards complete security control and more over Gaza as part of Tel Aviv's "war goals".