Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed an emergency unity government with members of opposition parties to lead the country in response to the worst terrorist attack in the country's history this past weekend.
The wartime Cabinet will include Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, according to a statement from Gantz. This government will not pursue legislation outside of decisions relating to the conflict. Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and a National Unity party member, and Ron Dermer, the minister of strategic affairs, will join the war Cabinet as observers.
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The members of the united government put aside their differences over various controversial domestic policy ideas in light of this weekend's terrorist attack, launched by Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist groups, that resulted in the deaths of more than 2,200 people, most of whom were Israeli. The number of Americans killed has risen to 22 as of Wednesday afternoon. The terrorists seemingly aimed to target civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, while some scenes were so brutal that both U.S. and Israeli leaders compared them to ISIS.
Opposition head Yair Lapid has not joined the unity government yet, conditioning his participation on the exclusion of far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
The Israel Defense Forces have launched hundreds of airstrikes at targets within Gaza in the days since the attack, creating mass destruction in the small enclave on the Mediterranean Sea. Israeli leaders have ordered a total siege on Gaza, while Israel has stopped its supply of electricity, food, fuel, and water to Gaza. It appears like Israel will launch a ground invasion in the coming days.
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Israeli authorities have said the updated death toll in Saturday's terrorist attacks exceeds 1,200 people, whereas Palestinian authorities have reported more than 1,050 deaths in Gaza. The attacks began when Hamas and other Gaza-based terror groups fired a large barrage of rockets, which the Israelis are generally able to intercept with their high-tech short-range air defense system known as the Iron Dome, while more than 1,000 terrorists were then able to break through the border wall separating Gaza and Israel.
The terrorists went to nearby Israeli communities and proceeded to murder Israeli troops, civilians, and children. Some of the scenes Israelis found in the aftermath of the attack include the slaughtering of children, the burning of civilians, and there have been reported sex crimes and the desecration of bodies.