Israel forms unity govt following Hamas terror attack

A coalition of ruling Israeli parties led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to form an emergency government in alliance with the opposition leaders in the wake of the Hamas terror attack.

The announcement was made on Tuesday (Oct 10) by Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

Among the opposition leaders who have agreed in principle to join the unit government are former prime minister Yair Lapid and former defence minister Benny Gantz.

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"An emergency unity government now!" Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who represents a hard right party close to the West Bank Jewish settler movement, posted on social media.

A spokesperson for Gantz's National Unity party said she was optimistic there would be "good news" but did not elaborate on the terms, Reuters news agency reported.

Narrow and professional govt

Reuters quoting a source close to Lapid Party reported that the role of the emergency government would be "narrow and professional."

The development comes days after opposition leader Lapid in a statement on Saturday, just hours after the Hamas attack, said that he informed PM Netanyahu about his willingness to establish “a professional, limited emergency government, which will manage the difficult, complex and protracted campaign before us."

The agreement by political parties that are normally deeply hostile to one another underlines the scale of the crisis that has unfolded following the thousands of killings by Hamas gunmen over the weekend and the capture of more than 100 others.

Israel identifies hostages

According to reports, Israel has identified most of the hostages abducted by Hamas and has started informing their families.

Around 100 families were notified on Tuesday, with the officers from the Israel Defence Forces merely confirming what they already knew from recognising relativesin harrowing footage of people. The videos were filmed by Hamas and shared on social media and through WhatsApp groups, the Times of Israel newspaper reported citing Israeli Army Radio.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said the total number of hostages seized was between 100 and 150.

More than 1,000 Israelis have died in the Hamas terror attacks, while at least 900 in Gaza have lost their lives.

On Monday, Israelsaid it would cut off electricity, food, fuel and water ina “complete siege”of the tightly packed strip of 2.3 million people.

(With inputs from agencies)

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