Report: Netanyahu Prolongs Gaza War to Secure Power Amid Rising Casualties

Multiple investigative reports reveal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliberately prolonged the Gaza war beginning in 2024 to maintain his political power and avoid potential criminal investigations related to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. Netanyahu resisted ceasefire proposals favored by the Biden administration and internal military leadership, choosing instead to appease hardline coalition allies who threatened to collapse his government if a truce was reached, thereby risking millions of Palestinian lives and prolonging hostilities. He prioritized military objectives, such as capturing Rafah and controlling the Gaza-Egypt border, that were not deemed necessary by the military but served to delay peace negotiations and maintain coalition unity. Netanyahu also leveraged military actions against Iran to secure political support from coalition members, notably informing a key Haredi lawmaker before strikes to prevent government dissolution. These strategies allowed him to consolidate power, block inquiries into Israel's preparedness failures, and plan further regional military operations, despite the significant humanitarian toll and damage to Israel's international standing. Even some of Netanyahu's closest supporters acknowledge that the continuation of the conflict was essential to his political survival.