Israel’s Ben-Gvir blasts Netanyahu over reported US-backed plan to form government without him

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of planning to form a US-backed government that excludes him.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Ben-Gvir said Netanyahu had "promised the US administration that, following the election, he would form a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot -- and without Ben-Gvir."

His remarks came after newspaper Israel Hayom reported that US President Donald Trump is pushing for a unity government involving Netanyahu and his main challenger Eisenkot, with the Israeli premier reportedly signaling in closed-door talks that he would be willing to abandon his far-right allies to advance the Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Arab countries, including with Saudi Arabia.

The developments come as Israelis continued to vote on Tuesday in parliamentary elections that will determine the country's next government.

The elections are Israel's first general polls since the start of its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

For his part, Netanyahu called Ben-Gvir's comments an "election trick" to mobilize voters.

"How many times are you going to keep repeating this trick?" he wrote on X.

Netanyahu, who has headed the current government since late 2022, is on trial on corruption charges, including bribery, fraud and breach of trust. If convicted, he could face imprisonment.

He also faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Gaza that killed more than 74,000 people and injured over 175,000 others.