Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could have agreed to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in April 2024, but he refused to do so for the sake of his own political survival. This is reported by the newspaper The New York Times based on conversations with more than 110 sources in Israel, the United States and Arab countries.
The publication found that under pressure from far-right coalition allies, Netanyahu slowed down the progress of negotiations at key moments when the radical Palestinian movement Hamas was most ready to make a deal. He insisted on continuing hostilities even when the Israeli military leadership did not consider this necessary. When the parties finally managed to agree on a ceasefire in January 2025, Netanyahu broke the truce in March, partly to avoid the wrath of right-wing forces.
The price of this approach was high, the newspaper notes. The unwillingness to end the war in Gaza led to the deaths of thousands of Palestinians, prevented the return of some hostages alive, deepened the rift in Israeli society, tore up the peace agreement with Saudi Arabia and tarnished Israel's image in the eyes of the international community.
For the prime minister himself, however, the consequences were extremely favorable. He concentrated maximum power in his hands, prevented an investigation into the circumstances of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which could have indicated his guilt for not preventing the attack, and also strengthened his coalition and got the opportunity to plan and carry out an attack on Iran. Ultimately, even Netanyahu’s most loyal supporters admit that his continued fighting has allowed him to stay in office, The New York Times concludes.
On July 6, Hamas and Israel, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, resumed talks in Doha, the goal of which is to reach an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of Israeli hostages held in the enclave. On July 10, during a visit to the United States, Netanyahu announced that Israel had agreed to a diplomatic settlement of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The prime minister noted that the Jewish state had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in the enclave, but insisted on complete demilitarization and the removal of Hamas from power in the sector. If diplomacy fails, Israel intends to achieve this goal through military means, the prime minister said.