The surge in the post-attack offensive, considered one of Israel's most serious security failures since its founding in 1948, has led to a deterioration of the country's image internationally, including pressure from its key allies, led by the United States. Added to this are the protests against the government and the emergence of cracks in the relationship between the civilian administration and the military leadership.
All this is made clear with the Gantz's recent departure from the war cabinet prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce its dissolution amid calls from far-right ministers to be included in the body, a sign of the radicalization of the positions of the government that took office in early 2023 and which integrates ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties.
This situation was followed by one public clash between Netanyahu and the military after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced on June 16 the establishment of “tactical pauses” in southern Gaza with the aim of allowing the delivery of aid to this area of the enclave, which is embroiled in a deep humanitarian crisis . The military's statement came in response to the increase in international pressure following the start of an offensive against Rafá in May, which caused the suspension of humanitarian operations, and following the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) order for an to put an end to the attacks. against the city and the implementation of measures to allow aid to enter the enclave, which was rejected head-on by Israel.
After the announcement, Netanyahu stated that he had not previously been informed about these matters.tactical pauses” as “lies” by Hamas and which, according to the United Nations, have not led to an increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid due to the insecurity and lack of guarantees of distribution in an area characterized by conflict and lack of control amid an offensive that has led to enormous destruction in the enclave. Netanyahu, who insisted he would open an investigation into the announcement of the 'pauses', which also unleashed harsh criticism of the IDF from the far-right sectors of the government, was later forced to come out in response to statements by army spokesman Daniel Hagari , who insisted in an interview that Hamas represents “an ideology, an idea” that cannot be eliminated in the current context.
“Saying that Hamas will disappear is misleading people”
“If we say we are going to make Hamas disappear, we are misleading people. If we do not provide an alternative, we will have Hamas,” Hagari said, prompting the prime minister's office to quickly issue a statement emphasizing that “one of the objectives of the war is the destruction of Hamas's military and government capabilities is'. and added that “the IDF is committed to this.” For its part, the military also published a statement clarifying Hagari's words in light of the controversy and reiterating that his spokesman referred to Hamas “as an ideology,” and not as an entity. militiaman, again amid doubts over the lack of a plan for the post-conflict phase – including who will be in charge of the enclave – and criticism of the authorities for the lack of tangible progress on the goals set at the launch. the offensive.
To these aspects are added voices critical of the strategy of the Gaza government, which has so far rejected the possibility of a ceasefire and opted for military means, given the attrition of the troops and increased tensions with the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah on the border with Lebanonmainly because of the risk of a large-scale conflict on this front, which will continue for years to come.
In turn, one of the obstacles to internal cohesion is the the lack of an agreement between Israel and Hamas in indirect talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States. This lack of agreement has been the driving force behind the weeks-long call for protests against Netanyahu, calling for an agreement on the return of the hostages and accusing the executive branch of prioritizing their political survival over the lives of the kidnapped. Some of these protests have been marked by police repression, which has further inflamed sentiments and led to increasing criticism of Netanyahu for what his opponents see as a authoritarian drift and a lack of measures to control the most extremist elements of the executive branch.
On the other hand, the differences within the governing coalition –led by the Likud and consisting of six other far-right and ultra-Ordox parties– has caused numerous internal tensions, especially around the bill aimed at opening recruitment to members of the ultra-Orthodox community, who were hitherto exempt, in order to compensate for the casualties suffered in Gaza and by Hezbollah attacks . Israeli justice believes that this exemption is discriminatory and part of the opposition has demanded that a plan be developed for the recruitment of these people, which has been rejected head-on by the ultra-Orthodox parties, which have threatened to overthrow the government . , which tied Netanyahu's hands and feet and reduced his ability to maneuver.
Similarly, criticism has also increased after the executive and security forces no responsibility after the October 7 attacksespecially after public broadcaster Kan revealed this week that a report prepared by intelligence services less than a month before the attacks documented Hamas's preparations and plans for the kidnapping of Hamas “between 200 and 250 people.”
The publication of the report was followed by the announcement of the creation of a forum composed of relatives of soldiers engaged in surveillance duties who died during the attacks, to promote the creation of a national commission of inquiry to investigate the “negligence” of the military to deal with. authorities. Until the date, Netanyahu has rejected the opening of this investigation amid the Gaza offensive and has argued, however, that investigations should take place once the conflict is over The army has distanced itself from these timesas he has announced that in July he will present some of the conclusions of his analysis of what happened, which could cause a new crack in the power leadership in the country.
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