Galit Alstein: Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu faces split cabinet as ceasefire dilemma deepens

Galit Altstein ·

Galit Alstein

As the US secretary of state Antony Blinken state worked towards a Gaza ceasefire on a visit to Israel this week, a major Tel Aviv newspaper offered a front-page summary of his challenge: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with key cabinet colleagues and the headline: “Who’s in charge here?”

On one side was hard-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, saying if Israel doesn’t invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, Netanyahu “understands perfectly well what that means”. On the other were centrist ministers labelling that “blackmail”.