Former Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately aiming to prolong the war in Gaza to coincide with national elections.
Speaking to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN on Sunday, Lieberman claimed Netanyahu’s political calculations are driving his desire to continue military operations in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Lieberman, who leads the nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, suggested that Netanyahu is trying to avoid the political consequences that would follow once the war ends and hostages held by Hamas are returned.
“Netanyahu wants to prolong the war until the elections,” he said, although he did not clarify whether he was referring to regularly scheduled elections at the end of 2026 or potential early elections anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026.
He added that Hamas cannot be eliminated before all hostages are safely returned, indicating that any military conclusion would be premature without resolving the hostage issue.
Indirect talks resumed in Doha, Qatar, on July 6 to reach a ceasefire deal and a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.
According to sources close to Hamas, the group has received updated territorial maps from mediators showing which areas remain under Israeli control.
Internal discussions are now underway within Hamas to assess the new proposals.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of nearly 59,000 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children, according to figures from the territory’s health ministry.
The near-continuous bombardment has left Gaza in ruins, with infrastructure destroyed and the territory increasingly uninhabitable.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing both men of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict.
Additionally, Israel faces an ongoing genocide case at the International Court of Justice related to its military actions in the enclave.
