Minister’s power threat to Netanyahu
ISRAEL’s hard-Right national security minister last night threatened to topple the country’s leader Benjamin Netanyahu if the army does not attack Rafah.
Itamar Ben-Gvir issued the warning as the Israeli military yesterday continued withdrawing more ground troops from the southern Gaza Strip.
With Egypt starting to host new talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire and hostage release deal, Mr Ben-Gvir posted on X: “If the prime minister decides to end the war without a broad attack on Rafah in order to defeat Hamas, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as prime minister.”
Mr Netanyahu has vowed to carry out the Rafah invasion and said: “There is a date.”
But the warning came amid mounting international pressure for an end to Israel’s military campaign. The pull back of troops now leaves just one brigade in southern Gaza six months after the start of its offensive, the Israel Defence Forces said.
But Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also appeared to still back a planned further onslaught, ominously warning that the troops were only being pulled out “to prepare for future missions, including in Rafah”.
Mr Netanyahu vowed Israel would not bend to international pressure and give in to “extreme demands” by Hamas, the Islamist movement that controls Gaza.
But US President Joe Biden has demanded Israel improve humanitarian conditions in the strip and work towards a ceasefire, saying American support could depend on it.
He also urged the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a ceasefire and hostage deal at the talks in Cairo.
More than 130 hostages are in captivity in Gaza and Israel says it will not stop its offensive until they are all returned.