Yossi Schwartz ISL (RCIT section in Israel/occupied Palestine) 16.09.2025
Netanyahu blames Hamas for the failure to reach a truce. However, the truth is that Netanyahu’s interest is in an endless war to escape prison for corruption.
On Tuesday, after the failure of the assassination in Qatar, Netanyahu vaguely presented Israel’s conditions for ending the war. “This war can end immediately, because we have already taken action. We accepted the principles set by President Trump for ending the war. These principles include the immediate release of all our hostages and the rest of the principles for ending the war that Israel has set,” the prime minister said a few hours after the assassination, at a reception at the US embassy to mark the (late) American Independence Day.
Since the beginning of the war, and even more so since Israel violated the ceasefire agreement last March, Netanyahu has been maneuvering between two conflicting interests. On the one hand, the desire to preserve his rule and prevent the resignation of extreme right-wing ministers, and on the other hand, the international pressure to end the war, the release of the hostages in the agreement, and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. This is apparently the reason for the contradictory statements he has been making for many months regarding the outline of the deal. He calls for the exile of senior Hamas figures, supports a plan for the “voluntary emigration” of Gaza residents, advocates the establishment of a government in Gaza that does not include the Palestinian Authority, and insists on an Israeli presence on the Philadelphi route permanently. Still, none of these appear explicitly in the official conditions for ending the war presented by his office in recent days.
The question arises: why did Netanyahu smear, dim, and evade, rather than openly choose to postpone any agreement? Netanyahu knows that Trump is the source of legitimacy for any future move by Israel vis-à-vis Hamas. Therefore, he said, he cannot really publicly oppose the outline that the president is proposing.
In fact, Netanyahu’s most consistent strategy is based on buying time, constantly changing Israeli demands, and preferring the continuation of the military operation to the end of the war. And that’s when, in the background, he’s conducting fake negotiations,
Last May, Netanyahu took to the podium in the Knesset plenum, during a discussion initiated by the opposition about his government’s “total failure” in achieving the war’s goals. As usual, he deflected criticism and ridiculed his critics. “We will achieve complete victory,” he clarified, adding passionately: “The people, the public, the country, want absolute victory, and they are right. They will also get the complete victory.” From the podium, he bragged: “We will bring back our abductees, we will eradicate Hamas, we will expose its leaders, we will open the Gaza Strip. It’s the absolute victory, it’s not that complicated.” Four months later, Netanyahu has zero out of four, and not even a partial victory.
Those statements were not one-time statements. Alongside the absolute victory that has been promised since the beginning of the war, and which is frequently mentioned, the idea of deporting Hamas leaders who remain in the Gaza Strip to a third country has also been a media sensation for several weeks. But two months later, when the same Netanyahu appeared at the Prime Minister’s Office to present “Principles for the End of the War,” it became clear that the exile of the leaders was no longer on the table. The promotion of “voluntary immigration” of Gaza residents, or staying on the Philadelphia Axis, and other initiatives that have made several headlines in the media, also disappeared last month.
However, in this statement, Netanyahu made it clear that “an alternative civilian government should be established in Gaza that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.” An administration that will live in peace with the State of Israel. Namely, to police the Palestinians.
Over the past few months, Netanyahu has repeatedly blamed Hamas, Qatar and even the Israeli negotiating team for the dismal results of the negotiations.
However, even this clause did not last long, at least not in its original form. In a statement distributed this week, the Prime Minister’s Office said that “the establishment of an alternative civilian government that will not pose a threat to Israel is required.” Any mention of Hamas or the Palestinian Authority as the body that will be a partner in the future government has disappeared as if it had never existed.
In remarks made this week by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at a press conference with the Croatian Foreign Minister, Israel took one step further. “We are ready to accept a full deal that will bring about an end to the war – based on the Cabinet decision,” he clarified. “We have only two simple demands: the return of the abductees – 48 abductees are still being held in cruel captivity. And Hamas must disarm.” No delegates, no exile, and no alternative government.
This is a comprehensive, complete, and final agreement that will involve the release of the hostages and the conclusion of the war. If only Hamas would agree. To anyone who hasn’t heard the news in the past two years, this may sound like hopeful news. However, some questions may have arisen among everyone else in light of the prime minister’s sharp U-turn. For months, Netanyahu has expressed support for a partial deal, and his office has made it clear that there is no feasibility of a comprehensive agreement. Later, when Hamas voiced support for the partial plan, Netanyahu abandoned his support for the plan and demanded talks on a comprehensive deal.
This phony readiness to end the war will continue as long as Netanyahu remains the PM and continues to cheat Trump.
At this time, if elections were held, Netanyahu would likely lose to Benet, who is not a stronger political candidate.
Down with Netanyahu!
No, to all Zionist parties!