At a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly asserts that one of the main goals of the war in Gaza is to eliminate Hamas, voices are rising doubting the Israeli Prime Minister’s true intentions in Gaza and whether he is actually planning to achieve the goals of the war or just his personal ambitions.
Netanyahu pledged to eliminate Hamas leaders and destroy the movement militarily and politically, as well as work to free the hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7.
Netanyahu also threatens to launch a ground military operation in the city of Rafah to “destroying the Hamas militant group,” but he is under increasing pressure to prevent him from doing so, as it has become a refuge for more than a million displaced people.
In an opinion article published by the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post on Friday, it stated that there is a “painful truth” that “Netanyahu prefers a weak Hamas in Gaza and avoids recognition of alternatives by the international community.”
The article questioned Netanyahu’s intention to eliminate Hamas, noting that the Israeli army reduced its military invasion of Gaza more than two months ago.
He adds, “At the height of the ground invasion, about 20 brigades were in the Strip. At the beginning of April, the 98th Division left the Strip, and thus Israel completed the evacuation of about 95% of soldiers in Gaza.”
The analysis described what happened as if Israel left the hostages and Rafah, which represents the main lifeline of Hamas, behind its back.
The analysis continues, “The obvious question is, therefore, why didn’t Israel take advantage of this support in the first months of the campaign for the occupation of Rafah and the complete defeat of Hamas.”
He believes that the real intentions behind this are that “Netanyahu prefers a weakened Hamas that still controls Gaza, over any other entity that receives international recognition and cooperation. This is for his personal and political reasons that are not hard to comprehend.”
The analysis stated that “Hamas, weakened but alive and in control of Gaza, is the key to Netanyahu’s chances of allowing the status quo to remain in place, including his remaining in power.”
On the other hand, Meir Masri, professor of political science at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and member of the Central Committee of the Labor Party, points out that “this talk is unrealistic for two reasons: First, because Netanyahu is not free to conduct the war, but rather he is the strongest party in an integrated system that is moving in a clear and disciplined direction.”
Masri added in an interview that the second matter is that “the Hamas authority is dying and its days are numbered, and all data indicate the approaching battle of Rafah and the completion of Israel’s extension of security control over the Gaza Strip.”
The analysis of the newspaper Jerusalem Post is consistent with a previous report published by the American website Axios last month, in which it quoted several American and Israeli officials as saying that they are “convinced that although the deeply unpopular Netanyahu seems boxed in, he might think a dragged-out war increases his chances of staying in power.”
According to the site, officials considered that Netanyahu’s actions were due to his conviction that “As long as a war is going on, elections that could oust him are less likely. And the more time that passes, the more chances he’ll have to recuperate politically.”
Netanyahu remains the only senior government official who has refused to take responsibility for the failures that led to the October 7 attack, according to Axios.
Most Israelis are calling on Netanyahu to resign, according to recent opinion polls, which indicate that the Likud Party, which he leads, would lose nearly half of its seats in the Knesset (Parliament) if elections were held today.
But Netanyahu does not want that, as the main topic in his recent press conferences was that the elections “would serve only Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” according to Axios.
