Netanyahu reluctant to end Gaza war due to pressure by coalition partners: Israeli analyst

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hesitant to end the ongoing war in Gaza primarily due to pressure by his political allies, according to Ben Caspit, an Israeli analyst.

Caspit, writing for the Israeli newspaper Maariv on Friday, said Hezbollah’s threat to Israel is far greater than that of Hamas, questioning why Israel rushed to a cease-fire in Lebanon while dragging its feet over the situation in Gaza.

"After all, the achievement in Gaza is much clearer: the adversary is weaker, Hamas has been significantly diminished, and is no longer functioning as a military entity," he wrote.

The answer, according to Caspit, lies in the political dynamics within the coalition. "A cease-fire in Gaza would bring down Netanyahu’s coalition, while a cease-fire in Lebanon would not," he said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both from the far-right of Israeli politics, have threatened to quit the coalition until "total victory" over Hamas. They have also repeatedly called for Israel to reoccupy Gaza, establish settlements there, and encourage the voluntary displacement of Palestinians.

In the context of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, Caspit said: "The 101 hostages in Gaza matter to Ben-Gvir and Smotrich as much as a clove of garlic, it would be great if we could get them back, but not at the expense of government stability. Does this sound brutal? It truly is."

“In any other time, Netanyahu would have sent Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, and Gaza settlements to hell, but now, in this era, he relies on them for his political survival,” said the political commentator.

Israel has killed more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and brought the enclave to ruins.

Last week, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi