Netanyahu Accused Of Deliberately Extending Gaza's Conflict To Avoid Responsibility

JAKARTA - The Israel-Hamas War in Gaza has not shown any signs of ending. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy of wanting to continue to prolong the conflict has led to speculation within the Israeli state itself.

According to Haaretz's daily report, quoted from ANTARA, Saturday, June 20, Netanyahu deliberately extended the conflict in Gaza as a strategy to avoid questions about it and prevent the disbandment of its ruling coalition.

Netanyahu is also said to know that the war has no clear purpose and will not produce the results he wants.

"This war has no purpose and a future, but extending it is a way (Netanyahu) to delay facing questions about responsibility," Haaretz wrote, citing an Israeli official's statement.

He also said the hostages detained in Gaza did not represent Netanyahu's interests, and found it difficult to believe that the prime minister would agree to make exchanges to free them in exchange for ending the war and releasing Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli official said Netanyahu realized that if National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir left the ruling coalition, his government would end, for that he would continue to shy away from discussions about the times after the Gaza war.

Israel claims that 136 Israeli Hamas have been charming in Gaza since October 7, while Hamas has demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons in exchange for releasing Israeli hostages.

The Israeli army has intensified a devastating war in Gaza since October 7, resulting in the death toll of Gazans of 24,762 deaths and 62,108 others injured.

The conflict has displaced more than 85 percent of the population in the Gaza Strip or about 1.9 million people, according to Palestinian and UN authorities.