Israel Seeks A United Government By Forming A Wartime Cabinet

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to create a wartime Cabinet to oversee the fight against Hamas, reports the Associated Press.

Netanyahu met with top political rivals on Wednesday, where he said the government would “crush and destroy” Hamas. And said that “Every Hamas member is a dead man,” on a televised address.

The Cabinet will be led by Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, an opposition figure and former defense minister and current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The opposition leader, yair Lapid was invited to join the Cabinet but did not immediately respond to the invitation.

The war has already claimed at least 2,300 lives on both sides, after Hamas militants massacred hundreds of Israelis in their homes, streets, and at a music festival.

Israel responded by striking Gaza, where around 2.3 million people live, flattening entire city blocks. The government is now warning civilians to evacuate whole Gaza neighborhoods instead of individual buildings.

Palestinians have said that some are unable to escape or have nowhere to go.

Netanyahu has alleged that Hamas militants have executed boys and girls, burned people alive, raped woman and beheaded soldiers. None of these claims have been confirmed.

Israel has mobilized 360 reservists, and massed additional forces near Gaza, as Netanyahu speaks about a possible ground offensive that would escalate the war.