We take a closer look at a question that’s dividing global opinion: Is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu truly committed to defeating Hamas, or is the war in Gaza serving a very different purpose?
Despite mounting global pressure, humanitarian catastrophe, and even signs of flexibility from Hamas, the Israeli military campaign in Gaza continues with no end in sight. Prime Minister Netanyahu insists the war must go on until Hamas is, quote, “completely defeated.”
But is that still the real objective?
In recent weeks, Hamas has publicly expressed readiness for a ceasefire deal — even offering to relinquish control of Gaza to a neutral, technocratic administration. A U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire was blocked solely by a United States veto. Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s government refuses any deal that doesn’t end in Hamas’s full defeat — even if that jeopardizes the lives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Experts say Hamas is already militarily weakened. Its top leadership has been eliminated, including Yahya Sinwar and, more recently, his brother Mohammed — though Hamas has yet to confirm the latter’s death. The group’s remaining military activity is sporadic and drastically reduced.
So, why the continued fighting?
Some analysts argue the war is no longer about Hamas — but about Prime Minister Netanyahu himself. Facing corruption charges and intense public scrutiny over intelligence failures leading up to the October 7 attacks, Netanyahu has been under immense domestic pressure.
Legal scholars and political observers suggest that prolonging the war serves a dual purpose: avoiding accountability and delaying elections, which must be held by October 2026.
Diana Buttu, a former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization, stated, “He fears what happens when the war ends — that all attention will turn to his corruption trial and political failures.”
Beyond politics, some fear a far more chilling objective is at play.
Over 54,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 124,000 wounded, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Aid has been choked off. The United Nations now calls Gaza “the hungriest place on Earth,” with nearly the entire population at risk of famine.
Israel has yet to put forward any plan for post-war Gaza. Critics say that’s no accident. A growing number of analysts and humanitarian organizations now believe the long-term goal may be to force the displacement of Palestinians through unbearable conditions — a campaign that could amount to ethnic cleansing.
Meron Rappaport, editor at Local Call, said bluntly: “Israel is no longer fighting Hamas. The goal is to shrink Gaza — to push its people into smaller, controlled areas where survival itself becomes a daily struggle.”
A recent Israeli poll cited by Haaretz showed that more than 80% of Jewish Israelis support the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza — a statistic that has alarmed international observers.
Netanyahu has long pledged to block the formation of a Palestinian state. Analysts believe that if he succeeds in reshaping Gaza, he could secure a legacy — either as a national hero or a global pariah, depending on who you ask.
As one expert told SNEWS TV, “Hamas is the excuse. The war is the strategy. And Netanyahu won’t stop unless he’s forced to — either by internal revolt or foreign pressure.”
The future of Gaza — and possibly Netanyahu’s own political fate — hang in the balance.
Reporting by Carl Montel.
