Benjamin Netanyahu dissolves war cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved his six-member war cabinet after former general Benny Gantz resigned.

Netanyahu is now expected to hold consultations about the Gaza war with a small group of ministers, including Defence Minister Yoav Gallant who has also been critical of the war planning.

The war cabinet was formed after opposition leader Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government at the start of the war in the interest of national unity. It also included Gantz’s partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers.

Gantz and Eisenkot both left the government last week, over what they said was Netanyahu’s failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war.

It leaves Mr Netanyahu further isolated, having been harshly criticised by international partners for the war in Gaza too.

Mr Netanyahu has faced demands from the nationalist-religious partners in his coalition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet, a move which would have intensified strains with international partners including the United States.