Netanyahu and Gantz
Netanyahu and GantzREUTERS

Senior Blue and White officials told Israel Hayom that their party is no longer willing to form a unity government with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

"Blue and White's leadership has no faith in Netanyahu - not even for a single day," a senior Blue and White official told Israel Hayom. "You can't trust him and do business with him, as they say."

Another senior party official said, "We must stand by our promises to our voters. We said that we would not sit with Netanyahu after he was indicted, and so our story regarding unity with Netanyahu is over."

The statements were made after Blue and White on Tuesday refused an offer to form a unity government in which Netanyahu would serve as prime minister for only a few months before handing the position over to Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz.

According to senior Blue and White officials, the party's refusal was due to two reasons: First, a lack of faith in Netanyahu, and second, the party's campaign promise not to sit with an indicted Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, a Likud official responded: "This was not a new offer. This offer was on the table for several weeks already."

"Blue and White needed to decide if they were even willing to sit with Netanyahu at all. If so, Gantz would have prevented new elections and won the seat of prime minister within a few months."