Israel’s hawkish defence minister resigned Wednesday over his opposition to a cease-fire with Hamas following the worst Gaza violence since 2014, bringing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the brink of collapse and potentially ushering in early elections.
In a televised news conference, Avigdor Liberman, who became defence minister in 2016, said that agreeing to the cease-fire was “surrendering to terror.” He has been a proponent of firm military action against Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, even if this risked a wider conflict.
The withdrawal of Liberman’s party from the governing coalition leaves Netanyahu with a one-seat majority in Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset. Liberman called for elections to be held as soon as possible.
