Divisions in Israel’s War Cabinet Emerge as Gaza Conflict Enters Pivotal Stage

Rifts among Israel’s war cabinet are spilling into public view, threatening to undermine the country’s military strategy in Gaza at a crucial stage in the conflict. The small collection of wartime decision makers—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and former head of the Israeli military, Benny Gantz —is diverging publicly on the two biggest dilemmas they face: whether Israel should negotiate to end the conflict and free the hostages, and who should govern the bombed-out strip once the war is over. The divisions in Israel’s cabinet reflect longstanding personal and professional disagreements between the lawmakers, who came together after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 Israelis to form a national unity government to prosecute the war and reassure Israelis.