Israeli military strategy: Gantz's potential resignation shakes Israeli War Cabinet

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The Forum of Families of Hostages, backed by tens of thousands of Israelis, continued its protests, demanding a swift prisoner exchange deal. 

This comes despite political and security officials' claims that the successful military operation to free four hostages from the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, achieved through exceptional intelligence efforts, encourages similar future operations.

Celebrations of the operation’s success persisted on Sunday, despite its implications not only for the prisoner swap but also for the situation on the ground in Gaza and Lebanon. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing upbeat before the cameras, tried to leverage the operation to mitigate the crisis within his government and the War Cabinet.

However, Netanyahu failed to convince War Cabinet member Benny Gantz not to resign. 

Gantz is expected to announce his decision on Sunday evening, with all indications pointing towards his intention to leave the cabinet. This aligns him with opposition leader Yair Lapid, who labeled Netanyahu's government as reckless, and Gadi Eizenkot, who calls for unified pressure to secure a prisoner deal and oust Netanyahu's administration.

The War Cabinet, which will convene following Gantz's announcement, will discuss his potential successor, with predictions favoring Gideon Sa’ar, a close ally of Netanyahu. 

The cabinet will also continue deliberating on preparations for a pilot project approved in last week's session. This project involves engaging local Palestinian figures to replace Hamas in the northern regions of the Gaza Strip.

Dubbed "Humanitarian Bubbles," the project will see these figures operate under Israeli military protection to distribute aid, with plans to address other civil issues in the neighborhoods where the project is implemented. 

The military will be deployed across various parts of the Gaza Strip, selecting specific areas to eliminate Hamas fighters and leaders, conducting operations, and then withdrawing. 

The method for preventing Hamas' return to these areas remains unclear and constitutes the next phase of the military's operations following the completion of the Rafah mission.