Israeli cabinet future in balance after Gaza hostage mission

The rescue of four Israeli hostages has thrown Benjamin Netanyahu a lifeline, with the Prime Minister pleading for political unity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: ‘Don’t give up on unity.’ Picture: Getty Images

The dramatic rescue of four Israeli hostages has thrown Benjamin Netanyahu a lifeline, with the Prime Minister pleading for political unity as his war-time cabinet threatens to implode.

Just hours after the leader of a special forces operation announced “We have the diamonds in our hands” as the hostages were flown out of Gaza, the Israeli Prime Minister urged war cabinet minister Benny Gantz not to follow through on his threat to resign.

“I call on Benny Gantz – do not leave the emergency government. Don’t give up on unity,” Mr Netanyahu said. Mr Gantz cancelled a news conference during which he had been expected to quit following Mr Netanyahu’s failure to ­approve a post-war plan for Gaza.

Instead he went on Israeli TV to say: “Alongside the justified joy over (the hostages’ release) … it should not be forgotten that all the challenges Israel is facing … have remained as they were.”

His centrist National Union Party last week said returning hostages from Gaza was a “priority” and submitted a bill to dissolve the Knesset and hold early elections.

The former army chief, one of Mr Netanyahu’s main rivals before he joined the war cabinet following the Hamas attacks of October 7, is seen as a favourite to form a coalition in the event the government collapses.

The rescue of Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, ­during a two-pronged raid on a refugee camp in Nuseirat, Gaza, on Saturday has given Mr Netanyahu hope.

Ms Argamani became for many the face of the hostage crisis when she was seen in Hamas footage screaming as she was seized during the carnage of the Nova music festival massacre.

Her rescue came during a daylight raid when vehicles carrying operatives from Yamam, the ­secretive anti-terrorism unit of the Israeli police, and the Shin Bet domestic spy agency, smuggled themselves into the refugee camp.

Ms Argamani was held in one building. In a second, 200m away, were Mr Meir, Mr Kozlov and Mr Ziv.

The operation’s success has delivered a morale boost for a nation facing increasing isolation and increased the chances of Mr Netanyahu holding his government together.

Far-right war cabinet member Itamar Ben Gvir rejected Mr Gantz’s argument that a hostage deal should be the government’s No. 1 priority.

“The heroic action of the Yamam [a secretive anti-terrorism unit of the Israeli police] and the other security forces shows that there is hope and it is possible to defeat [our] enemies and return the abductees home and not to ­capitulate,” the Times of Israel reported him as saying.

Reports from Israel suggested Mr Gantz would spend Sunday in talks with advisers and could wait until after a holiday on Wednesday to announce whether he will leave the government.

His exit would destabilise, but not necessarily topple, the government, which holds 64 of 120 seats in the Knesset.

Mr Gantz is under pressure to remain in the government as a counterweight to Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, Fin­ance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Mr Ben Gvir, who insist Israeli’s military operations in Gaza must not end until Hamas is destroyed.

AFP