Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has disbanded the country’s war cabinet, an Israeli official has told CNN

Netanyahu’s decision comes after opposition leader Benny Gantz announced his withdrawal from the body last week, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s request to join.

The war cabinet was formed five days after the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas and included not only Netanyahu and Gantz but also Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Other politicians such as Gadi Eisenkot and Ron Dermer also took part as observers.

But Gantz – seen as Netanyahu’s most formidable political opponent – announced his “complex and painful” decision to withdraw from the cabinet last week, citing Netanyahu’s failure to devise a strategy for the conflict in Gaza and the future governance of the Strip.

Gantz’s resignation sparked calls from far-right members in Netanyahu’s governing coalition, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to join the war cabinet. Both men were earlier pointedly excluded from the cabinet at Gantz’s behest.

By dismantling the cabinet, Netanyahu may have avoided having to accede to Ben-Gvir’s calls to join it, which could have further strained Israel’s relations with the United States, or having to reject his demands, which could have angered the more extreme wing of Netanyahu’s coalition.

Another interpretation is that without Gantz – and Eisenkot who also resigned – in it, there was no longer any point in keeping the war cabinet going. Instead, an Israeli official tells CNN, Netanyahu will in the future hold smaller forums to discuss sensitive matters relating to the war with Hamas. It’s unclear whether Ben-Gvir will be excluded from these as well.