Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a Security Cabinet meeting on Monday evening amid escalating internal disputes, as key ministers threatened to resign.
Channel 12 reported that the meeting’s agenda included the war in Gaza, humanitarian aid, and negotiations regarding a possible prisoner exchange with Hamas.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu invited far right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to attend after previously excluding them from the decision to allow aid into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The meeting followed Smotrich’s threat to resign after Netanyahu acknowledged that humanitarian aid had entered Gaza, despite a long-standing policy of severe restrictions that has pushed the region into unprecedented famine.
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On Sunday, the Israeli military announced it had allowed limited airdrops of humanitarian aid and declared what it called a “local tactical pause in military activity” in certain areas to facilitate the deliveries.
However, humanitarian organizations rejected the move, describing it as mere public relations, stressing that Israel has continued to block essential aid through Gaza’s crossings since March while civilians face starvation.
Smotrich, who previously threatened to leave the government if “even one grain of rice” entered Gaza, now says a large volume of aid entered without his approval, calling it a political humiliation.
Political sources told KAN that Smotrich was outraged that Netanyahu acted without consulting him, despite his role as a key coalition partner and a member of the inner circle overseeing Israel’s recent attacks on Iran.
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“If this crisis is not resolved in the coming hours or days, his resignation becomes a very real possibility,” the sources said.
Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party holds seven seats in the Knesset but is aligned with other far-right parties that together hold 14 seats in the 120-member parliament. His departure alone would not topple the government but could destabilize it and pave the way for a vote of no confidence.
The political crisis within Netanyahu’s coalition comes as Israel faces growing international criticism over the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the severe famine affecting the region. [Nia]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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