Despite Isreali Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s suggestion to change strategies, Netanyahu “continues to declare that the all-out war against Hamas will continue for as long as it takes.”

The Israeli army is ready to “declare a conclusion” to its ground offensive in Gaza once the Rafah operation is over, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “isn’t inclined” to agree, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Friday. 

According to the Israeli analyst Amos Harel, the Israeli army, although “far from inflicting a total defeat on Hamas” would “recommend a cessation to the campaign in the Gaza Strip, in the present format,” reducing troops in key areas and focusing on targeted raids, along with efforts to restart hostage negotiations and achieve a ceasefire. 

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According to the report, recent combat in Rafah has resulted in significant casualties, including at least 11 Israeli soldiers. 

The captive situations remain dire, Harel assessed. “In regard to the hostages, the army doesn’t have encouraging news at the moment,” he wrote, noting that the Nuseirat operation on June 8 – which freed four captives but led to the killing of over 270 Palestinians – is the exception that proves the rule.

Tensions are also high in northern Israel, where the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has resumed hostilities following a temporary reduction in attacks during the Eid al-Adha holiday, the report noted. 

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Despite Isreali Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi’s suggestion to change strategies, Netanyahu “continues to declare that the all-out war against Hamas will continue for as long as it takes.”

“Netanyahu’s supreme goal remains survival: to get through the Knesset’s summer session and wait in the hope that Donald Trump will be elected US president in November,” the report explained. 

Tensions between the Netanyahu-led Israeli government and the Biden administration have also risen over delayed bomb shipments, which, according to Harel, could impact Israel’s military capabilities in a broader conflict. 

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“Halevi, still state-oriented, rationalistic, wary of emotions, is gradually losing his patience,” the report stated adding that he is “freeing up maneuvering space for his spokesperson and in some cases gets swept into harsh exchanges with politicians himself.”

According to Harel, “there are some officers who would like to see him be even bolder”, especially since the political situation appears to be more complex than ever.

“It’s clear that Netanyahu’s remaining associates in the coalition – the Haredim and the ultra-right – have entered a mode of grab whatever you can,” the report noted.

While Ben-Gvir pushed to obtain a place in the war cabinet, the “Haredim are continuing to press for the enactment of laws critical for them and thereby to pour fuel on the flames of the protest movement.”

“After the events of the last week, it’s more difficult to know whether the coalition will get through the Knesset’s summer sitting without falling,” Harel concluded.

(The Palestine Chronicle)