Israel’s war on Gaza continues to draw international condemnation, with many questioning whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu genuinely aims to defeat Hamas or if there’s another motive at play. Despite Hamas’s willingness to negotiate a deal to end the war, including handing over the administration of Gaza to a technocratic government, Israel remains resolute in its refusal to accept anything short of Hamas’s defeat.
Elia Ayoub, writer and researcher on Israel-Palestine, believes Netanyahu is using the war as an excuse, stating, “Hamas is already the weakest it’s ever been, and there’s nothing they can do that is remotely comparable to what Israel possesses… There’s ample evidence by now that the only reason this genocide is ongoing is because Netanyahu wants it to continue. It’s clearly just an excuse to keep the war going.”
Netanyahu’s motivations may be twofold. On one hand, the ongoing war distracts from his personal problems, including corruption charges and potential accountability for security shortcomings that led to October 7. Diana Buttu, a legal scholar and former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, notes, “He’s afraid once it’s done, eyes will rightfully turn to him over corruption and the failures of October 7.”
On the other hand, analysts suggest Netanyahu might be aiming to ethnically cleanse Gaza, pushing Palestinians out of the territory. Meron Rappaport, an editor at Local Call, a Hebrew-language news site, asserts, “Neither Hamas nor the hostages are the targets. The goal is to push the people of Gaza into very few, small and closed areas where food will be delivered scarcely, hoping that the pressure on them will get them to ask to leave the Strip.” This claim is supported by Netanyahu’s statement that Israel would control the entirety of Gaza by the end of its latest offensive.
Mairav Zonszein, an expert on Israel and Palestine for the International Crisis Group, believes Netanyahu has no intention of ending the war, stating, “It doesn’t matter what Hamas offers. They can offer to return all the hostages or give up governance. This war is going to continue until Netanyahu is forced to stop it, and that can only come from Trump.”
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with the territory now deemed “the hungriest place on Earth” by the UN, and over 54,300 Palestinians killed and 124,000 wounded in the conflict. As the situation unfolds, one thing is clear: the fate of Gaza hangs in the balance, and the international community’s response will be crucial in determining the outcome.