Netanyahu, under increasing pressure to accept deal with Hamas

2024-02-02 16:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Netanyahu, under increasing pressure to accept deal with Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

New polls show that support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is steadily declining. As Voice of America's correspondent from Jerusalem, Linda Gradstein, reports, most Israelis polled say he should step down after the war ends.

A possible new deal to release 132 Israelis who have been held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for nearly four months would likely force Israel to end the war without destroying the militant group.

Prime Minister Netanyahu speaks with conviction that this will not happen.

"We will not end the war without achieving the goals. That means destroying Hamas, returning all our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel. We will not withdraw our forces from the Gaza Strip and we will release thousands of terrorists. Neither of these will happen. What will happen? Total victory," Mr. Netanyahu said.

As the war rages on with no end in sight, a growing number of Israelis are becoming more vocal in their support for the families of the hostages, putting pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to accept the terms of the deal to release the hostages.

"We think there should be a change or revision of the current plan, in order to reach an agreement on the release of the hostages. If the prime minister had his son in Gaza, he would probably think differently about the price he would be willing to pay." , says Israeli-American Ruby Chen, whose son is being held hostage by Hamas.

On the other hand, members of the extreme right in Prime Minister Netanyahu's government say they will leave the coalition and topple the government if he ends the war with Hamas, as the militant group continues to control Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is also under pressure from US President Joe Biden to reach a deal that would create a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, under the control of what US officials say should be a "reinvigorated Palestinian Authority". .

Israeli analysts say the various demands at home and abroad are challenging for Mr. Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister. Most expect new elections in Israel after the end of the war, or even earlier if the war continues.

"It is clear that there is a lot of pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to set a time for holding elections. But, as we know, in the Middle East, temporary agreements are not sustainable, whether in terms of political, diplomatic or strategic relations", says Dan Dicker from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

Recent polls show that only 15 percent of Israelis want Mr. Netanyahu to remain prime minister even after the war. Many say they have lost faith in his government, following the failures of intelligence and security authorities to thwart Hamas attacks on October 7.

"The chances that Netanyahu will have a political future with all these differences are very low," says Amootz Asa-El from the "Shalom Hartman" Institute.

So far Israel's leader has refused to take responsibility for the October 7 attacks. But analysts say that many Israelis think that he is responsible and that it is time for him to leave power./ VOA