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Israeli opposition leader warns of civil war due to Netanyahu's policies

"There is a leadership that is inciting us against each other, and social networks that are poisoning the well from which we drink," says Benny Gantz.

Reuters

Gantz criticised Netanyahu's administration. / Photo: Reuters

Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz has warned of a potential civil war due to the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"If we don't come to our senses, we will have a civil war here. We must not obscure the truth," Gantz, leader of the National Unity party, stated in a speech shared on his X account on Monday.

Gantz criticised Netanyahu's administration, saying, "There is a leadership that is inciting us against each other, and social networks that are poisoning the well from which we drink."

In a separate incident on Monday, Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant exchanged sharp criticisms over the ongoing war in Gaza. Gallant accused Netanyahu of obstructing a prisoner swap deal with Palestinians, while Netanyahu accused Gallant of promoting an anti-Israel narrative.

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Gantz further emphasised that while Israeli soldiers are battling what he called "the enemy", members of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) "are leading a break-in into military bases." He added, "This is what a civil war looks like."

He was referring to a July 29 incident when Knesset members, along with right-wing Israeli protesters, broke into the Sde Teiman prison to protest the arrest of nine Israeli soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation for its ongoing offensive on Gaza, which began after an attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas last October.

According to local health authorities, nearly 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 92,000 others injured.

Over 10 months into the war, large areas of Gaza remain in ruins under a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is currently facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered it to halt its attacks in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians sought refuge before the city was invaded on May 6.