Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz’s centrist party has proposed a bill to dissolve parliament, after he threatened to quit unless there is agreement on a day-after plan for the Gaza war.
The bigger picture: The development shows growing strains in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Gantz has emerged as Netanyahu’s main political rival since 7 October, with recent opinion polls showing he would receive the most votes should a snap election be held.
The key quote: “Netanyahu, it’s not too late to come to your senses — either together we are victorious or you continue alone with the method of ‘divide and rule’.” – Gantz’s National Unity party in a statement.
What else to know: Gantz joined Netanyahu’s government shortly after the 7 October attack. He has helped manage the Israeli offensive in Gaza, but strains have grown as the war dragged on.
What happens now: Gantz’s party is unlikely to garner the votes needed for the measure to pass. The party has just eight parliamentary seats out of 120 and Netanyahu’s original coalition controls a comfortable majority with 64 seats.