Tel Aviv, March 3: A top Israeli Cabinet minister headed to Washington on Sunday for talks with US officials, sparking a rebuke from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an Israeli official, in a sign of widening cracks in Israel’s wartime government nearly five months into its war with Hamas.
The trip by Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival who joined Netanyahu’s hard-line government early in the war following Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel, comes amid deep disagreements between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden over how to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and create a post-war vision for the enclave.
Talks aimed at brokering a Gaza cease-fire were underway in Egypt. International mediators hope to broker a deal that would pause the fighting and free some of the remaining hostages before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10.
The US was prompted to airdrop aid into Gaza on Saturday after dozens of Palestinians rushing to grab food from an Israel-organised convoy were killed last week. The airdrops circumvent an aid delivery system that has been hobbled by Israeli restrictions, logistical issues in Gaza and the fighting inside the tiny enclave. Aid officials say airdrops are far less effective than aid sent via trucks.
US priorities in the region have increasingly been hampered by Netanyahu’s hard-line Cabinet, where ultranationalists dominate. Gantz’s more moderate party at times acts as a counterweight to Netanyahu’s far-right allies.
An official from Netanyahu’s Likud party said Gantz’s visit was without authorisation from the Israeli leader. The official said Netanyahu had a “tough talk” with Gantz about the trip and told him the country has “just one prime minister”.
An Israeli official said Gantz had informed Netanyahu of his intention to travel to the US and to coordinate messaging with him. The official said the visit is meant to strengthen ties with Washington, bolster support for Israel’s ground campaign and push for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Gantz is set to meet with US Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to his National Unity party.
Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to discuss the dispute with the media. (AP)
