JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz' resignation has sent a strong signal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it doesn't pose any immediate threat to the survival of the government, reports say.
Gantz had asked Netanyahu to lay out a plan before June 8 for the government to achieve its six 'strategic goals', including replacing Hamas' political control of Gaza with a multinational civilian administration for the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
As the deadline passed by without any response from Netanyahu, Benny Gantz announced that he is quitting the cabinet.
At a news conference Sunday, Gantz said his National Unity party is withdrawing from the emergency government, which was formed after Hamas' deadly cross-border attack on October 7.
Gantz, who is one of the three voting members of the war cabinet, and a political rival of Netanyahu, called on him to declare snap polls.
Gantz's departure will not endanger the parliamentary majority in the Knesset held by the ruling right-wing coalition.
Netanyahu has the support of 64 lawmakers in the 120-member parliament, and even without National Unity party's backing, the right-wing coalition government will not lose its majority.
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