Israel forms a unity government and a war cabinet

Israel formed a unity government and a war cabinet on Wednesday to oversee the deadly conflict triggered by Hamas' weekend surprise attack as it continued to launch airstrikes on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip, Kazinform Agency learned from Xinhua.

The new war cabinet brings former defense minister and leader of the centrist-right National Unity party Benny Gantz to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition government. Members of the wartime cabinet also include Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Arab foreign ministers on Wednesday called for an immediate halt of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and the revival of the stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

In the final communique of an Arab League extraordinary meeting at the level of foreign ministers held in Cairo, the top Arab diplomats urged all parties to exercise self-restraint and warned of "the catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions" of further escalation.

They emphasized the necessity of lifting the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and immediately providing humanitarian aid, food, and fuel to Gazans.