JERUSALEM 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the conflict in Gaza as a strategy to avoid facing questions about it and prevent the collapse of his ruling coalition, according to a report on Friday. 

"This war has no purpose and no future, but prolonging it is [Netanyahu's] way of postponing engagement with the question of responsibility," the Haaretz daily quoted an Israeli official as saying.

The anonymous official said that Netanyahu "knows there is a reasonable chance that the goals [of the war] will not be reached and is simply stalling for time."

He also said the Israeli captives held in Gaza do not represent importance to Netanyahu, and it is difficult to believe that the prime minister will agree on a swap to free them in exchange of ending the war and releasing Palestinian detainees.

The Israeli official noted that Netanyahu realizes if National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leaves the ruling coalition, his government will come to end, and therefore he keeps escaping from discussing the next day of the war on Gaza.

Israel claims that Hamas has been holding 136 Israelis in Gaza since Oct. 7, while Hamas demands a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for releasing Israeli prisoners in its custody.

The Israeli army has been conducting a devastating war in Gaza since Oct. 7, resulting in 24,762 deaths and 62,108 injuries.

The conflict has led to the displacement of more than 85% of the population in the Gaza Strip -- approximately 1.9 million residents -- according to Palestinian authorities and the UN.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar