Benjamin Netanyahu May Need to Make a Deal to End Gaza War

Since the October 7 attacks in 2023, the prevailing view in Israel has been that Benjamin Netanyahu never wanted a ceasefire in Gaza. The prime minister himself has said repeatedly that anything less than 'total victory' over the militant group Hamas is unacceptable. Cabinet colleagues have confirmed Netanyahu's stance, and he has rejected agreements that stipulate an end to the war. Netanyahu's opponents have accused him of continuing the fighting to distract from his long-running corruption trial and unresolvable tensions within his far-right and ultra-orthodox governing coalition — something he denies. But even 'the one person in the world who wants this war to continue', according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, may soon need to make a deal.

US President Donald Trump is fuelling hopes of an imminent agreement, saying that he wants the Gaza war to end. Buoyed by the recent ceasefire with Iran, he told reporters last Friday he thinks a deal could be struck 'within the next week' and posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday: 'MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK.' Previously, his administration has been the only thing capable of pressuring Netanyahu's government, as evidenced by his demand that Israel stop attacks on Iran and the signing of the second Gaza ceasefire just prior to Trump's inauguration.

Importantly, the Israeli military is saying it has met the aims of the most recent offensive in Gaza, which has left even more of the strip destroyed and Palestinians forced into around 18 per cent of the land, according to the UN. 'In the near future, we will reach the lines we defined for the current phase within the framework of operation 'Gideon's Chariots'. From there, operational options will be developed and presented to the political echelon,' the IDF chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, said on Friday. 'We will continue to act with determination in order to achieve the two main objectives of the war — the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.'

There is not much left to destroy in Gaza. Even staunch allies, like Germany, have expressed horror at the humanitarian crisis produced by Israel's attempts to dismantle the United Nations aid system. The other option being floated is that Israel could send soldiers back into Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter from the IDF's advance. Already, increased Israeli strikes are hitting Gaza, reportedly killing 67 people on Monday.

June has been the deadliest month for the IDF in Gaza the past year, with 20 soldiers killed, including seven in one attack on an armoured personnel carrier. It's one of many factors making the Israeli public increasingly in favour of ending the war. Netanyahu, fresh from a supposed victory over Iran, has indicated he is now willing to place a higher value on the Israeli hostages who remain inside Gaza than the war aim of destroying Hamas.

Netanyahu and Trump are set to discuss the ceasefire. US officials said Trump would press for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and would discuss plans about the return of the remaining hostages. At present, Israel's government says it has accepted the current US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, which includes the release of half of the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinians detained by Israel. Hamas has offered multiple times to release all of the hostages, but only if Israel guarantees the war will end.

There is some suggestion that Hamas could allow Israeli troops to remain in unpopulated parts of Gaza during the ceasefire period, softening its requirement for a total Israeli withdrawal. However, the group's other demands have not shifted much in recent days and it is saying it 'will not go to a deal under the current conditions'. 'Halting the aggression and opening the door for relief aid to Palestinians in the Strip are two non-negotiable conditions,' Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told Al Jazeera. Mardawi also said the group would not consider disarming. 'The resistance's arms are directly linked to ending the occupation and are not subject to negotiation,' he said. Without significant US pressure and movement from both Hamas and Israel, this chance might be lost, like many others before it.

According to the source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation.