Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz has warned of a possible civil war in the country, citing the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz, the leader of the National Unity party, said that if the current situation continues, “we will have a civil war here. We must not obscure the truth.” He praised Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza, but criticized the leadership for inciting divisions and social networks for spreading misinformation.
Gantz’s remarks came as tensions between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant escalated, with Gallant accusing the prime minister of obstructing a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians. Netanyahu responded by accusing Gallant of following an anti-Israel narrative.
In a speech posted on his X account, Gantz said that when Israeli soldiers are fighting what he called “the enemy,” while members of the Knesset are leading a break-in into military bases, this is what a civil war looks like. He was referring to a July 29 incident in which Knesset members and right-wing protesters broke into the Sde Teiman prison to protest the arrest of nine Israeli soldiers for sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee.
The Israeli assault in Gaza has been met with international condemnation, with nearly 40,000 Palestinians killed and over 92,000 others injured since October. The UN Security Council has demanded an immediate cease-fire, but Israel has refused to comply. The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to halt its actions in the southern city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war.
The war has also led to widespread destruction and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with vast tracts of the territory lying in ruins and a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine in place.