Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Defense Council Minister Benny Gantz refused to participate in the press conference held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday evening, according to Israeli media.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority (official) stated through its account on the X platform that Gallant and Gantz refused to attend and participate in Netanyahu’s conference, without mentioning the reason for this.
Since the formation of the War Council – which is headed by Netanyahu and includes Gallant and Gantz – Israeli media have reported on more than one occasion that there are disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant on the one hand, and Netanyahu and Gantz on the other hand, regarding the management of the war and the issue of Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) surprised Israel on October 7 with a large-scale attack on the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip, killing about 1,200 Israelis and capturing dozens.
According to the Israeli army, 168 officers and soldiers were killed in Gaza since the start of the ground operation on October 27, while the total number of deaths since the 7th of the same month reached 502 officers and soldiers.
The ongoing Israeli war against the Gaza Strip since last October 7 until Saturday left 21,672 martyrs and 56,165 injured – most of them children and women – massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to the Gaza Strip authorities and the United Nations.
