Minister Benny Gantz breaks foot biking in southern Israel
War cabinet minister sustains injury during bike ride near kibbutz; accident comes after national security minister, Ben Gvir, hurt in car crash
War cabinet minister Benny Gantz broke his foot on Monday during a cross-country bike ride near Kibbutz Yad Mordechai in southern Israel.
The National Unity party chief was biking in the area, where he has taken up temporary residence during the last couple of months in the Israel-Hamas war.
He was taken to Sheba Medical Center in Tel Aviv for testing following an initial check at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, his office said.
His injury requires surgery and Gantz elected to have the operation in central Israel to be close to his home in Rosh Ha’ayin.
Gantz’s injury comes after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir suffered light injuries in a Friday car crash while running a red light in Ramle.
A Saturday night statement from the hospital where Ben Gvir was admitted said the minister had fractured his ribs and was suffering from bruising, describing his injuries as light. He was later released home.
The hospital said Ben Gvir’s daughter, who was in the car with him, was lightly hurt in the crash and was sent home on Saturday night. Neither she nor the minister had been wearing seatbelts, according to reports.
Ben Gvir’s office did not confirm that he ran the red light on Friday, but claimed violating traffic rules is occasionally necessary because Ben Gvir is “one of the most threatened” ministers in Israel. There was no evidence that Ben Gvir was in any danger in the moments leading up to the crash or that the situation necessitated running a red light.
