Jerusalem: Israel's ultra-Orthodox Shas Party withdrew on Thursday from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling coalition in the Knesset amid a dispute over the conscription of Haredi Jews.

According to Anadolu Agency, Shas announced its decision due to the government's failure to advance military service exemption for Haredi Jews at the opening of the Knesset's winter session on Monday. This was reported by the Yedioth Ahronoth daily. In response, Yosef Taieb, Chairman of the Knesset's Education, Culture, and Sports Committee, and Yonatan Mashriki, Chairman of the Health Committee, submitted their resignations to Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

The Shas Party, which holds 11 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, expressed willingness to return to the government if the issue concerning the status of yeshiva students is satisfactorily resolved. This move comes after a previous announcement in July where Shas resigned its ministers from Netanyahu's government but continued to support the coalition. Similarly, the United Torah Judaism bloc, another ultra-Orthodox party, withdrew from the government based on the same concerns.

Netanyahu's coalition needs a minimum of 61 seats in the Knesset to maintain its ruling status. Presently, the coalition comprises members from the Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit parties. Ultra-Orthodox parties have persistently advocated for legislation that would exempt Haredi men from compulsory military service, a position that has met with increasing resistance from various government factions and the general public.

Critics within the Israeli opposition accuse Netanyahu of attempting to push legislation exempting the Haredi from military service to appease coalition partners and prevent a potential collapse of his government. The Haredi community, which constitutes approximately 13% of Israel's population, contends that their dedication to Torah study serves as their national service and that integration into secular institutions poses a threat to their religious identity.