Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has quit the emergency government in a sign of deepening divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post-conflict plans for Gaza, writes Reuters.

Speaking during a news conference in Tel Aviv on Sunday where he announced his resignation, Mr Gantz said the decision was made with a “heavy heart”: “Unfortunately, Mr Netanyahu is preventing us from approaching true victory, which is the justification for the painful ongoing crisis”.

Considered by some to be a potential challenger for power in Israel, Mr Gantz called on Netanyahu to set a date for elections.

Netanyahu responded with a post on X: “Benny, this is not the time to quit the campaign, this is the time to join forces”.

Last month, Gantz set a deadline of 8 June for Netanyahu to lay out how Israel would achieve its six “strategic goals”, including the end of Hamas rule in Gaza and the establishment of a multinational civilian administration for the territory.