Top opposition leader Benny Gantz said he has reached an agreement on Wednesday, October 11, to enter a wartime unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Gantz, a former defense minister and military chief of staff, released what he said was a joint statement with Netanyahu.
"Following a meeting ... held today, the two agreed on establishing an emergency government and war cabinet," said a joint statement by the premier and Gantz, a former defense minister.
The statement said they would form a five-member "war-management" Cabinet. It will consist of Netanyahu, Gantz, current Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and two other top officials serving as "observer" members.
It said the government would not pass any legislation or decisions that are not connected to the war as long as the fighting continues. It was not immediately clear what would happen to Netanyahu’s existing government partners, a collection of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid has not joined Gantz, but the statement said a seat would be "reserved" for him in the war cabinet.