Netanyahu vs. Gantz: Political showdown in Israel's war cabinet

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly mobilized more public support after what could be called an indictment by Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz. 

He chose the northern region near Lebanon, an area witnessing increasing security tensions and calls for an immediate war to erupt there, to meet with local leaders to discuss ways to handle the security situation and ensure the safety of residents, aiming to have them return to their homes before the start of the new school year in early September.

This is Netanyahu's second call for such a meeting in four months. Despite knowing that there is no solution with Lebanon without resolving the situation in Gaza, he continues to strike on various fronts to prolong the war and his government's term.

Netanyahu's actions come four days after his speech, dubbed "I Accuse," and just hours after Cabinet member Benny Gantz presented a "conditional indictment" against Netanyahu to the Israelis, holding him responsible for the current situation and giving him a deadline until the eighth of next month to present a plan to prevent further entanglement in Gaza.

However, Gantz did not present anything new. Whether he, Gadi Eisenkot, and Yoav Gallant remain in the cabinet or not, the right-wing government will remain cohesive unless something noteworthy occurs. 

The timing of the elections depends on Netanyahu's stance. In either case, Israel, after Gantz's speech and Gallant's earlier remarks, stands at a crossroads.

The internal movement coincided with the arrival of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in Israel from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he held talks as part of Washington's efforts to progress on the captive exchange deal and the post-war plan, ensuring a ceasefire and moving towards normalization between the kingdom and Israel.

Netanyahu, however, preempted Sullivan's arrival by reaffirming his stances: No to "Fatahstan" or "Hamastan."

His opponents responded, arguing that Netanyahu will keep Israel stuck in the "Gaza quagmire" while Hamas strengthens beyond the borders.