Gantz’s centrist party submits bill to dissolve Israeli parliament

JERUSALEM 

The centrist party of Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz submitted a bill Thursday to dissolve the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, aiming for early elections.

The head of the National Union Party, Pnina Tamano-Shata, put forward the bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset, the party said in a press release.

“This comes as a continuation of the movement led by the party’s leader, Minister Benny Gantz, to reach elections by wide consensus, by next October, after a year of the massacre,” it said, referring to the Oct. 7 cross-border attack on Israel last year by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Tamano-Shata said that “October 7 is a disaster that requires us to go back and receive the people’s trust, to establish a broad and stable unity government that can lead us safely in the face of the enormous challenges in security, the economy and above all — in Israeli society,” the party added.

The bill requires approval through three readings by a majority before becoming law, with no immediate decision made on when it will be put to a vote.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government holds 64 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset, which could thwart the bill.

Netanyahu has repeatedly announced in recent months his rejection of holding elections during the war.

Polls published by Israeli media outlets have shown that if early elections were held, Gantz’s party would surpass Likud, led by Netanyahu.

Additionally, 70% of Israelis support early Knesset elections, according to a poll conducted a week ago by the Israeli Broadcasting Authority.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,224 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 81,700 injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered it to immediately halt its operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala

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