Netanyahu dissolves war council, forms new security body amid growing Israeli divisions

Published September 10th, 2024 - 06:01 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) chairs a Cabinet meeting at the Kirya, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defence, in Tel Aviv on December 31, 2023.
Highlights
The newly formed security body includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich but excludes National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been demanding to participate in the meetings.

ALBAWABA- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the War Council and replaced it with a smaller security body, a move that has deepened divisions among Israelis.

 According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, this change was made without an official announcement. 

The newly formed security body includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich but excludes National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been demanding to participate in the meetings.

The new security cabinet consists of six ministers, along with Netanyahu, and meets regularly to discuss war-related issues. This reshuffling of leadership has further fueled political tensions within Israel.

In a related incident, an Israeli army spokesperson released a video showing a tunnel in Gaza where the army reportedly recovered the bodies of six Israeli prisoners. 

The spokesperson described the findings in the tunnel as grim, suggesting that the remaining captives may be held in similarly harsh conditions. 

The army is currently examining all items recovered from the tunnel where the six kidnapped prisoners were found dead.

Meanwhile, Israeli opposition leader and former Prime Minister Yair Lapid warned that if every effort is not made to negotiate, the lives of the remaining detained individuals with Hamas may be at risk.

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