National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot formally resigns from Knesset
National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot formally submitted his letter of resignation from the Knesset to Knesset Speaker MK Amir Ohana on Wednesday.
"I have seen greatness in serving the people," he wrote. "I will act with faith and commitment to creating a leadership alternative worthy of the State of Israel."
'Member of Knesset Lt. Gen. (res.) Gadi Eisenkot informed National Unity Party chairman Benny Gantz of his intention to leave the party and return his mandate to it,' the party said in a statement earlier in the week. 'The two emphasized their long-standing friendship and mutual respect, and stated that they will continue to collaborate toward shared goals and for the benefit of the people of Israel in the future as well."
Eisenkot held a press conference on Tuesday, elaborating his reasons for leaving Gantz's party.
Eisenkot began by mentioning the establishment of the National Unity party three years ago, together with Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar, with the aim of creating a liberal democratic state Zionist union. He emphasized that these principles are even more true after the October 7 failure.
He said that he has been working for many months to strengthen the liberal party bloc, with the aim of presenting a governing alternative. Referring to his relationship with Benny Gantz, he clarified that his exit is not a personal matter but rather highlights a substantive debate.
"I thought that a transparent and deep democratization process was needed to build the party as a significant entity, and unfortunately, that didn't happen. There was also a disagreement on the way to create change. We need to build a leadership alternative that will lead to victory in the next elections," Eisenkot said.
Eisenkot has reportedly met with both Opposition Leader MK Yair Lapid and former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and is considering joining both of them ahead of the next election.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UN's corrupt aid 'mafia monopoly' preserves Hamas control of Gaza, GHF head tells 'Post'
As Hamas continues to terrorize innocent Gazans and aid workers alike, the UN insists on operating under broken systems that give Hamas a safety net, GHF director Johnnie Moore says. WASHINGTON, DC- 'Feeding people is the most Christian thing you can do.' That's how Johnnie Moore, the evangelical leader now overseeing the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, summed up his mission—one that has delivered over 1.2 million food boxes to Gazans in just five weeks, even as Hamas attacks, UN criticism, and a second regional war tried to derail it. In an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post, Moore pulled no punches, denouncing what he described as a corrupt and complicit international aid system that empowered Hamas for years. 'I've watched a broken system that professes to help people when very often it only helps itself,' Moore said. 'Hamas controlling aid isn't the exception—it's the rule.' The foundation he leads has become a flashpoint in Gaza. It operates large-scale distribution centers aimed at bypassing Hamas and getting food directly to civilians—a mechanism Moore claims is already serving roughly half the population of the Gaza Strip, or between 800,000 and 1 million people. 'The first day we opened, Gazans kept asking us: 'Is this really free?' They weren't used to that.' The mission, launched quietly with American support, now finds itself at the center of international controversy. According to Moore, Hamas is attempting to minimize the foundation's role in ongoing hostage talks in Doha—proof, he says, that the group feels threatened by the initiative. 'It's incredibly telling that the first thing Hamas wanted to negotiate was preserving the UN's monopoly on Gaza aid,' Moore said. The foundation has also faced physical threats. Moore confirmed that two American volunteers—both retired veterans—were injured last week when Hamas operatives threw Iranian-made grenades at one of the distribution centers. The IDF, he noted, evacuated the wounded. 'They threw Iranian grenades at American aid workers who were just feeding Gazans. The next day, we showed up and delivered millions more meals,' Moore said. Moore reserved some of his sharpest words for the United Nations and its leadership. 'To this day, the Secretary-General hasn't replied to my letter asking him to condemn Hamas's murder of our 12 local Gaza aid workers,' Moore said. 'And now they have the audacity to act like we are violating humanitarian law?' He accused UN agencies of maintaining a monopoly that, in practice, enabled Hamas to control nearly every food parcel that entered the Strip before the war. 'The UN has acted like a mafia when it comes to controlling the food in Gaza,' Moore said. 'They fueled a system for years that suppressed the people of Gaza. We're disrupting that.' Moore added that the foundation has evidence Hamas is now targeting aid recipients—stealing food from civilians after they collect it. 'We actually have video of Hamas terrorists intercepting aid beneficiaries and taking their food as they return home,' he said. 'But the scale of diversion is a fraction of what used to happen. This isn't theoretical. It's real. And it's working.' Moore says the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is supported not only by the Trump administration and the State Department, but also quietly by staff within major aid organizations who are fed up with the system. 'We have a growing list of whistleblowers from the international aid community,' Moore said. 'They believe the entire sector is corrupt from the top down.' He recently met with EU leaders in Brussels and said the mood was mixed. 'Many admitted the old system empowered Hamas—but they're still too invested in it to change,' he said. Despite Hamas threats and international pressure, Moore insisted the foundation will continue operating. 'We're not a political organization. We're here to feed people. And we're here to stay,' he said. 'Whatever disinformation is spread, whatever politics are played, we'll keep delivering meals. That's the mission.' And in that mission, Moore said, is hope—not just for Gaza's civilians, but for what could come next. 'When people finally receive food without fear—when Hamas doesn't hand it to them—they start to feel something else: freedom.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
What food is being distributed in Gaza? GHF releases full list
Each aid box distributed is designed to sustain a family of 5.5 individuals for approximately 3.5 days. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has provided details about the type of food it is distributing in Gaza, following questions from The Jerusalem Post regarding its ongoing operations and its application for US government funding. According to the organization, each aid box distributed is designed to sustain a family of 5.5 individuals for approximately 3.5 days. The contents of the boxes vary slightly depending on availability and cost, but typically include flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil, pasta, a protein such as canned tuna, and dried beans. Additional items such as tea, coffee, cookies, and chocolates are available. GHF has also begun distributing potatoes, which the organization said have been well received by recipients. The group stated that the food packages exceed the caloric minimums set by the international humanitarian community and are consistent with aid typically provided by other organizations. GHF said it has also distributed aid on behalf of other humanitarian groups. In a statement released on Tuesday, GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said the organization has delivered more than 66 million meals over a month and highlighted what he described as the group's success in distributing food without interference from Hamas. "GHF has done what others could not: deliver free, nutritious, and secure emergency food aid directly to the people of Gaza without interference from Hamas," the statement read. "In just over a month, we've delivered more than 66 million meals. We're grateful to the Trump Administration for recognizing the impact of our work with a $30 million commitment to help expand our operations." The group also addressed questions surrounding a review by USAID of GHF's application for grant funding, stating that the process is routine and that the organization is cooperating fully. Fay noted that the organization's operational model is designed to prevent diversion, fraud, or misuse of aid. "Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources—which will eventually include American taxpayer funds—reach the people of Gaza, not Hamas," he said. GHF also alleged that some long-standing international aid groups have failed to prevent diversion of aid in Gaza, and claimed that such organizations view GHF as a threat. Fay said that such criticism only harms the civilian population. "The bottom line is GHF is delivering where others have not," the statement concluded.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Israeli officials signal they want UN to remain key Gaza aid channel, says senior UN official
Hamas said on Wednesday that the flow of aid was one of the sticking points for a new hostage deal. Israeli officials have signaled they want the United Nations to remain the key avenue for humanitarian deliveries in Gaza, the deputy head of the World Food Programme said on Friday, noting the work of theUS aid group was not discussed. "They wanted the UN to continue to be the main track for delivery, especially should there be a ceasefire, and they asked us to be ready to scale up," Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the UN food agency, told reporters on Friday after visiting Gaza and Israel last week. The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to broker a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian terrorists Hamas in Gaza. Hamas said on Wednesday that the flow of aid was one of the sticking points. Israel and the United States have publicly urged the UN to work through the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but the UN has refused, questioning the group's neutrality and accusing the distribution model of militarizing aid and forcing displacement. Skau said he met with Israeli authorities at different levels last week and that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation "did not come up in those conversations." "I think there were rumors of the UN being pushed out, but it was very clear in my engagement that they want the UN to continue to be the main track in delivery," Skau said. Since Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19, allowing limited UN deliveries to resume. The GHF launched its operation, using private US security and logistics firms to transport aid to distribution hubs, a week later. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded 615 deaths near GHF sites and 183 deaths "presumably on the route of aid convoys" operated by the UN and other relief groups. GHF has repeatedly said there have been no deaths at any of its aid distribution sites. The group said on Friday that it has so far delivered more than 70 million meals in Gaza. The US State Department has approved $30 million in funding for the GHF, which touts its model as "reinventing aid delivery in war zones." Israel and the United States have accused Hamas of stealing aid from the UN-led operations, which the terrorists deny. Throughout the conflict, the United Nations has described its humanitarian operation in Gaza as opportunistic - facing problems with Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout Gaza, and looting by armed gangs. But the UN has said its aid distribution system works, and that was particularly proven during a two-month ceasefire, which Israel abandoned in mid-March. The UN said it got 600-700 trucks of aid a day into Gaza during the truce and has stressed then when people know there is a steady flow of aid, the looting subsides.
