‏JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of the Security Cabinet on Monday evening as internal disputes escalated, with key ministers threatening to resign, Israeli media reported.

‏Channel 12 said the agenda covered the war in Gaza, humanitarian aid, and negotiations over a potential prisoner exchange with Hamas.

‏According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, Netanyahu invited far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to attend after previously excluding them from decisions on aid deliveries to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

‏The meeting followed Smotrich’s threat to step down, after Netanyahu acknowledged that humanitarian aid had entered Gaza despite a long-standing policy of severe restrictions that had pushed the enclave into unprecedented famine.

On Sunday, the Israeli army said it allowed limited airdrops of aid and announced what it called a “localized tactical suspension of military activity” in certain areas to facilitate deliveries.

Humanitarian organizations, however, rejected the move as a mere publicity step, stressing that Israel continues to block vital aid through Gaza’s crossings since March while civilians face starvation.

‏Smotrich, who had earlier threatened to leave the government if “even a single grain of rice” reached Gaza, now says large amounts of aid are entering without his approval, calling it a political humiliation.

‏Political sources told KAN that Smotrich was “extremely angry” Netanyahu acted without consulting him, despite his role as a central coalition partner and a member of the inner circle that oversaw Israel’s recent strikes on Iran.

‏“If the crisis is not resolved in the coming hours or days, his resignation becomes a very real possibility,” the sources said.

‏Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party holds seven Knesset seats but is allied with other right-wing parties controlling 14 seats in the 120-member parliament. His departure alone would not topple the government but could destabilize it and pave the way for a no-confidence vote.

‏The political crisis within Netanyahu’s coalition comes as Israel faces mounting international criticism over its ongoing genocide in Gaza and the famine sweeping the enclave.

‏Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages.

‏Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

‏Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.