Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday slammed his own right-wing bloc aftee threats to dismantle the coalition if Hamas is not decisively defeated in Gaza.

Speaking at the opening of the weekly Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu promised a statement later in the day addressing both the public and what he called the “gatekeepers” on the right. “Tonight there will be a statement, and there will also be answers for the ‘gatekeepers’ from the right,” he said.

In a message to ministers warning they could bring down his government, Netanyahu cautioned: “The right has a special talent for toppling right-wing governments, and then we pay tragic prices.”

Notably, all ministers from the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties — two key coalition partners — were absent from Sunday’s meeting, underscoring the deepening rift within the government.

The tensions follow remarks by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of Religious Zionism, who blasted the Cabinet’s decision to capture Gaza City. Smotrich said he had lost confidence in Netanyahu’s “ability and willingness” to lead the IDF to victory and eliminate the Hamas threat.

The public clash marks one of the most serious internal challenges Netanyahu has faced since the war began, raising questions about whether the coalition can hold together as the Gaza campaign drags on.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)