Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who has vowed to oppose any long-term Israeli military rule over Gaza, publicly challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday over post-war plans for the Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, the defense minister's televised announcement marked the loudest dissent from Israel's top brass against Netanyahu on several fronts during the seven-month conflict that has fueled political rifts at home and abroad.
In response, Netanyahu, without mentioning Galant directly by name, implied that the minister was "making excuses" for not destroying Hamas to date.
Affirming the Netanyahu government's goals of destroying Hamas and freeing hostages, Gallant said those goals must be complemented by laying the groundwork for an alternative Palestinian government.
"We must eliminate Hamas' ability to rule the Gaza Strip. The key to achieving this goal is military action and the creation of an alternative government in Gaza, Gallant said.
In the absence of such an alternative, there are only two negative options left: either to agree to the rule of Hamas in Gaza or to the military rule of Israel in Gaza," the Israeli Defense Minister added, stressing that he would be against the latter scenario and called on Netanyahu to officially renounce that option.
