Summary of the day …
Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the Israeli war cabinet that had been overseeing the conflict in Gaza, rebuffing far-right allies who had been seeking seats, and apparently moving to solidify his grasp on decision-making over the fighting with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The prime minister announced the move to ministers, saying the war cabinet had been established as part of an agreement in which the moderate politician Benny Gantz and his National Unity party joined an emergency coalition last year, and was no longer needed now Gantz had left government
The disbanding of the war cabinet was confirmed by Israeli officials briefing anonymously, against a backdrop of mounting discontent over the conduct of the war in Gaza and calls from anti-government groups for a week of daily protests. Two highways were reportedly blocked in Israel by demonstrators on Monday morning, and a rally outside the Knesset is planned for Monday evening
US special envoy Amos Hochstein was in Israel for talks with Netanyahu, Gantz, Israel’s president Isaac Herzog and opposition leader Yair Lapid. Lapid said on social media “Instead of disbanding the war cabinet, the government should be disbanded”
Unrwa chief Philippe Lazzarini said the agency has not seen a change in the position on the ground since Israel’s military announced it would take tactical pauses in its action to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. He told the media “operationally, nothing has changed yet. For the time being, I see nothing which would qualify to the definition of a pause”
Spokesperson David Mencer said Israel had not seen any signs that Hamas would also pause fighting during the tactical pauses that Israel’s military has said will take place during its ground offensive in Gaza
Palestinian news agency Wafa reports that one person has been detained by Israeli security forces at a military checkpoint in Jenin camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank
Here are some of the latest images sent to us over the newswires of Israeli military operations inside the Gaza Strip.
