Netanyahu to lose power? Gantz's centrist party submits bill to dissolve Israeli parliament

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz's centrist party on Thursday (May 30) said that they had submitted a bill seeking to dissolve the parliament and have an early election.

"The head of the National Union Party, Pnina Tamano-Shata, has put forward a bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset. This follows the request of party leader Minister Benny Gantz to move forward in broad agreement to an election before October, a year since the massacre," said the political party, in a statement.

The submission of the bill is seen as an attempt to topple Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.

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National Unity MK Pnina Tamano-Shata had submitted the proposal to dissolve Israel’s parliament, Israel Hayom reported.

Countering the bill, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party said that "the dissolution of the unity government is a reward for (Hamas Gaza leader Yahya) Sinwar, a capitulation to international pressure and a fatal blow to efforts to free our hostages".

In Israel, the election is not due before the final quarter of 2026 and earlier, the Likud party had warned that holding an early election would harm the fight against Hamas in Gaza.

Gantz's deadline for Netanyahu to draw a plan of action

This month, Gantz threatened to resign from the war cabinet if Netanyahu did not finalise a post-war plan for the Gaza Strip.

He had earlier threatened to leave the coalition of Netanyahu if the president did not sketch a plan for the Gaza war.

“I look you in the eyes tonight and tell you: The choice is in your hands. After talking to you again and again, the moment of truth has come,” Gantz said.

He gave a deadline of June 8 to Netanyahu for finalising a plan of action and to finalise six key strategic goals of the war.

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The strategic goals listed by Netanyahu are - bringing home the hostages; destroying Hamas, creating an “international civilian governance mechanism for Gaza” including Palestinians but not P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas; advancing normalisation with Saudi Arabia and establishing a new framework for Israelis’ military service; demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and establishing Israeli security control there and returning the residents to the north and rehabilitating the western Negev.

Gantz in April had stated that Israel should go to the elections in September. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant had also criticised Netanyahu for not being able to rule out an Israeli occupation of Gaza after the war.

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(With inputs from agencies)