Joins Israel's Emergency Government After Demonstration And Dialogue, Opposition Leader Gantz: Now's Time For War

Benny Gantz. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit photographer)

JAKARTA - Former defense minister and central opposition leader Benny Gantz joined the emergency government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond to the attack carried out by Palestinian militant Hamas last Saturday.

Gantz, who is also a former three-star Israeli general (Rav Aluf), said it is now time to unite and win.

"There is time for peace and there is time for war. Now is the time for war," Gantz said.

The emergency government was formed on Wednesday afternoon, after PM Netanyahu and Gantz who led the National Union met at the Israeli military headquarters (IDF) in Tel Aviv in the morning.

Citing The Jerusalem Post, the two figures have held a number of meetings to discuss details of the emergency government, it will take five days to reach an agreement.

As of Saturday, Gantz has persistently opposed the possibility of entering the current government, which is Israel's far-rightest government, as quoted by The Times of Israel.

However, along with other opposition members, he changed his stance and said all internal disputes should be put aside to unite against Israeli enemies.

Gantz told Israelis the newly formed emergency government was united and ready to remove the so-called Hamas from the face of the earth, "the Guardian reported.

It is known that the Hamas militant group invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip on Saturday last week, killing at least 1,200 people, the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israeli history.

Israel retaliated with massive bombings in Gaza that had killed 1,055 people, followed by the deployment of thousands of troops around the region, increasing the assessment of a land invasion of Gaza.

In response, Israel formed an emergency government led by PM Netanyahu and Gantz, as well as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The announcement comes after Israel has been hit by months of protests, opposing the efforts of its prime minister and government to push for controversial judicial reforms, quoted by the BBC.

The demonstrators are backed by political rival Netanyahu, as well as former top officials in the Israeli military, intelligence and security agencies, former Supreme Court justices to prominent legal figures and business leaders.

Hundreds of reserve troops, including air force pilots who played an important role in Israel's defense, threatened to refuse military service, which led to warnings, could disrupt Israeli military capabilities.

Last month, Israel's Supreme Court convened to hear a petition against one of the government's legal amendments, which would limit their rule.

"We are fighting cruel enemies, worse than ISIS," Prime Minister Netanyahu said with Gantz and Gallant.

During fighting with Hamas in Gaza, the emergency government will not take any unrelated policies or laws, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Gantz said in a joint statement.