Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly undermined attempts at a Gaza ceasefire, shifting conditions and blocking negotiations to prolong the war, analysts say.
The pattern stretches back to November 2023, when Israel agreed to a short truce that freed 110 captives taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack. Netanyahu refused to extend the deal, leaving others behind. Since then, each time talks neared a breakthrough, he has introduced new demands.
In May 2024, after Hamas accepted a proposal, Israel launched an invasion of Rafah instead. Later, Netanyahu insisted Israel must permanently control Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor — a condition rejected by both Egypt and Hamas. He then declared that only a deal securing the release of all captives would be acceptable, but not in return for ending the war.
Even mediation by allies faltered. Then-US President Joe Biden announced an Israeli ceasefire plan in May 2024, but Netanyahu never confirmed it. In January 2025, under pressure from Donald Trump, Israel briefly accepted a phased truce, only to violate it weeks later.
Last week, as Hamas negotiators met in Doha to discuss a new US-backed plan, Israel bombed the talks — a move seen by critics as deliberate sabotage. Einav Zangauker, the mother of an Israeli captive held in Gaza, asked: “Why does the prime minister insist on blowing up any deal that comes close to happening?”
Netanyahu’s refusal to end the war is closely tied to his political survival. Facing a corruption trial, he relies on far-right coalition partners, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who advocate expelling Palestinians from Gaza and resettling the territory with Israelis. They have threatened to collapse his government if the war ends.
By keeping the conflict unresolved, Netanyahu preserves his coalition while avoiding the risks of a full-scale Gaza occupation. He rejects Hamas rule, opposes the Palestinian Authority taking control, and denies Israel wants to govern Gaza itself — leaving the situation in deadlock.
The next Israeli elections are due by October 2026. Netanyahu may try to claim military successes — such as weakening Hamas, striking Hezbollah, and bombing Iran’s nuclear sites — to secure a mandate independent of far-right partners. But until then, Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 64,800 have been killed, and Israeli captives still held remain trapped in the consequences of his political balancing act.
The post Israel’s Strike on Qatar Underscores Netanyahu’s Resistance to Gaza Ceasefire appeared first on The Financial Daily.
