Benny Gantz, a key member of Israel’s war cabinet, who is seen as a moderating presence, resigned from the government on Sunday, citing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza.

Concerned with the open-ended conflict and the lack of success in retrieving those captured by Hamas, Gantz had, for weeks, been threatening to resign.

He had set a deadline of Saturday for Netanyahu to address key issues, including the return of four hostages. After Israeli authorities announced the rescue of the hostages, Gantz postponed his planned news conference, choosing instead to wait a day before publicly resigning.

In a televised address, Gantz emphasized that a “real victory” should involve prioritizing the return of hostages rather than political survival. He further outlined his vision for combining military success with a diplomatic initiative to replace Hamas with an alternative government. Gantz and Netanyahu notably disagreed on the future of Gaza’s governance, with Gantz advocating for an administrative body supported by Arab and Western countries, including the United States.

Though Gantz’s exit will give Netanyahu’s coalition a narrower majority, there do not appear to be any further defections that would imperil Israel’s government.

While critical of Netanyahu, Gantz praised Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant, urging him to “say the right thing but to do what is right” and act as a check on Netanyahu’s power and decision-making.

Netanyahu responded by urging Gantz to stay, citing the existential nature of Israel’s war on multiple fronts, saying: “Israel is in an existential war on several fronts. Benny, this is not the time to abandon the campaign — this is the time to unite forces. My door will remain open to any Zionist party willing to shoulder the gurney and help bringing about victory over our enemies and ensuring our citizens’ safety.”

Now on the outside looking in, Gantz is distanced from the war and positioned as a potential challenger to Netanyahu in future elections.