Israeli prime minister calls for unity after rival resigns from war council

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel is dedicated to bringing home all the hostages remaining in Gaza and to completely eliminating Hamas. He added that achieving those objectives would demand the support of most, if not all, Israeli officials.

On Sunday, one of Netanyahu’s key rivals, Benny Gantz, stepped down from the Israeli government’s war council. On Saturday, Netanyahu called for Gantz to reconsider that decision. The challenges confronting Israel at the moment demand that officials remain united and not fall into division, Netanyahu said.

Why did Gantz quit the war council? Gantz cited frustrations with Netanyahu, whom he accused of putting politics above Israel’s interests, according to a report by The Times of Israel. He also accused Netanyahu of preventing Israel from achieving a true victory. Gantz called the decision to quit the government a complex and agonizing decision, according to The Times. He has called for new elections in Israel.

What’s happening on the ground in Gaza? The United Nations World Food Programme has shut down its operations to deliver aid to impoverished civilians in Gaza through a recently reconstructed Gaza aid pier. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday she made the decision out of concern for the safety of the organization’s staff. Just days before, the organization had said that more aid was needed to prevent a famine in Gaza.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report in The Sift from earlier today about an Israeli operation that saved four hostages from captivity in Gaza.