Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said every Hamas member was “a dead man” after the first meeting of his country’s emergency government.
Benny Gantz, a leader in the resistance, agreed with him and said it was “a time for war.”
However, US Vice President Joe Biden said that he had talked to Mr. Netanyahu and made it clear that Israel needs to “follow the rules of war.”
There have been 1,200 deaths in Israel. Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed more than 1,100 people.
Mr. Biden said he knew how angry and upset the Israeli people were, but he asked Israel to follow the rules of the Geneva conventions. He also told Iran to “be careful” because they supported the Hamas attack.
Earlier on Wednesday, Netanyahu and Gantz agreed to end their nasty political feud, which had led to large-scale protests.
President Netanyahu’s statement that every Hamas member is a dead man shows the approach Israel is taking to deal with the situation.
Mr. Gantz told the people of Israel that the new government was “united” and ready to “erase Hamas from the face of the Earth.”
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant would be in the new temporary cabinet, along with Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gantz, who is the leader of the moderate National Unity Party and a former defence minister.
Yair Lapid, who is the leader of the biggest opposition party in the country, has not joined the partnership. But in a united statement, Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gantz said that he would have a place in the war cabinet.
“During the war period, no bills or government decisions will be promoted that do not concern the conduct of the war,” stated a statement.
“All senior appointments will be automatically extended during the war period.”
The emergency government will make it easier for people across the country to agree on armed action. It also gives the war cabinet two views from people who know a lot about military policy. Both Mr. Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who is there as a spectator, have been chiefs of staff in the Israeli military before.
Attacks by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip happened right after the new cabinet was announced.
Since Hamas’s attack on Saturday, more than 1,200 people have died in Israel. Hamas is also known to have held up to 150 people hostage, some of whom were children and older people.
Israel’s military said on Wednesday that thousands of troops were ready near the border with Gaza in case they had to invade the land.
Israel has also been attacked by Hamas and has fought back with fire with the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and with forces in Syria.
This week, Mr. Gallant revealed that the Palestinian area would be under a retaliatory siege. This means that all food, water, and energy sources have been cut off. So far, airstrikes have killed more than 1,000 people there.
Ministers in Israel, including Itamar Ben Gvir, who is in charge of national security, are happy that a unity government has been formed.
“Well done on coming together; now we need to win,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
After months of protests against the prime minister and his government’s efforts to push through unpopular changes to the courts, Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gantz said they would work together.
Politicians who are against Mr. Netanyahu, as well as former top officials in Israel’s military, intelligence, and security forces, former chief justices, well-known lawyers, and business leaders, all backed the protesters.
Hundreds of military reservists, including important air force pilots for Israel’s defence, had said they would not report for duty, which led to fears that it could hurt Israel’s military.
READ:40 Israeli Babies beheaded by Hamas: Israel-Palestine (Hamas) War (Video)
Israel’s Supreme Court met last month to hear arguments against a law change made by the government that would limit their own authority.
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