The coalition parties on Tuesday gave Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the go-ahead to establish an emergency unity government to manage the conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This decision received unanimous approval, according to a statement from the Likud party.
While no formal agreement has been reached with the National Unity party, led by Benny Gantz, it’s reported that a deal is close. Calls for such a government have grown following the Hamas attack over the weekend, and Netanyahu, in a speech on Monday night, called for a unity government without preconditions.
Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister, has expressed the desire for a small War Cabinet with “real influence,” including representatives from his party. There are rumors that Gantz might insist on excluding the Jewish Power party (led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir) and the Religious Zionism party (led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich) from the emergency government in negotiations.
The involvement of other opposition parties, such as Yesh Atid, led by leader of the opposition MK Yair Lapid, in the emergency government remains uncertain.