TRANSCRIPT
The six-member war cabinet of Israel has been dissolved, following an announcement by the nation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The decision was made after the departure of one of the cabinet's key members, National Unity party leader Benny Gantz on June 9.
The National Unity party had joined an emergency coalition last year.
Mr Gantz stated his disagreement with Mr Netanyahu's decisions over the war in Gaza.
"Regrettably, Mr Netanyahu is preventing us (Israel) from advancing toward true victory, which is the justification for the ongoing and painful cost (of war). That is why we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart, but full of confidence."
The announcement is seen as an attempt by Mr Netanyahu to strengthen his hold over decisions being made concerning the war in Gaza.
Yesterday the Israeli army said it would be making "tactical pauses" to its daily operations in Gaza to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid in the enclave.
This decision has been strongly criticised by the Israeli Prime Minister and his fellow ministers.
The duties of the Israeli war cabinet will be passed down to the security council, made up of a small group of ministers.
Joe Federman, Bureau chief for the Associated Press in Israel, explains what this transfer of duties could mean for the war in Gaza.
"This doesn't bring his government down, but it transfers most decision making or important decision making back to his security cabinet. That is a broader body of senior cabinet ministers. Many of them are hard liners who oppose the cease fire efforts and want to press even harder with the war in Gaza. Now, the main backers of this ceasefire plan the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, have been pressing hard to get Israel and Egypt to accept this plan. They've been having a hard time. That job is now going to be even harder."
The decision has not gone unnoticed by the US.
National Security spokesman John Kirby has said Mr Gantz's departure left Mr Netanyahu with very few options.
"This is, the War Cabinet is an internal, was an internal domestic measure taken by the prime minister to better advise and provide him counsel on the war. We said at the time that we believed it was a worthwhile step and and we still hold by that, but with Mr. Gantz's decision to leave, I'm not sure that Prime Minister Netanyahu was left with a whole lot of other choices.”
Meanwhile, the people of Israel are ramping up their protests against the Israeli government.
Thousands of people gathered outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Demonstrators are also calling for the government to be dissolved and for a general election in the country, showing their discontent with its handling of the Gaza war.
Yaron Gissin, a member of the protester's group, says the Israeli Prime Minister's decisions are being influenced by outside forces.
"Israel and the people of Israel are facing enemies from within and from the outside. The enemies from the outside are very visible. And we see Hamas, we see Hezbollah and Iran is pulling all the strings behind it, and we see the Houthis, and we see even Russia behind everything. But what is less known is that we have the enemies within which are mostly radical people that are trying to pull Israel into an endless war. And they're grabbing (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu by the 'you know where', and not letting him do the right thing for Israel, but rather do the right thing for the coalition."
The protests have intensified in recent days following the departure of National party leader Benny Gantz's and centrist former general Gadi Eisenkot's departure from the war cabinet.
Opposition groups have called for a full week of demonstrations, during which they blocked key road-points and caused major disruptions.
Israeli police have made nine arrests, following clashes with protesters who came close to Mr Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem.
Protester Oren Shvill says the resignation of the Israeli government is a one-way street for his country.
"The healing process of the Israeli country, it starts here. It started last week when Benny Gantz and Eisenkot left the coalition, we are continuing this process and hopefully this government will resign soon. Because if it won't resign, Israel will not survive."
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Cypriot counterpart Konstantinos Kombos at the State Department.
The two sides have announced a strategic partnership that will begin later this year.
They also discussed their cooperation in establishing a safe route for the provision of humanitarian aid towards the people of Gaza.
Hundreds of tons of aid has already been shipped to Gaza from Cyprus by sea via a U-S built pier.
Mr Blinken has said the relations between the two sides will continue to grow stronger over time.
"We will be announcing and initiating strategic dialog between our countries. The first will take place this fall in Cyprus. I think it's very powerful evidence of the strengthening, the deepening, the broadening of the relationship between our countries acting together in so many different areas. Of course, the maritime corridor in Gaza is a prominent example. But if you look at what we're doing in terms of, of trade, in terms of science and technology, in terms of security, in terms of education, in terms of people to people ties, you see, a partnership, a relationship that's growing stronger, that's growing deeper."
