Netanyahu prolonging Gaza war for far-right ministers, Lieberman says
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Former Israeli minister Avigdor Lieberman says Netanyahu is extending the Gaza war to satisfy Smotrich and Ben Gvir, despite the Israeli occupation forces declaring their goals achieved.
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Then-Israeli Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman speaks to journalists at the weekly cabinet meeting, in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine, Sunday, September 11, 2022 (Pool via AP)
Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and former Israeli security minister, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday of deliberately extending the war in Gaza to satisfy far-right members of his cabinet.
Lieberman stated that Netanyahu is trying to appease Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben Gvir by continuing the aggression on the besieged Strip despite growing military consensus that the war has achieved its strategic goals.
“As long as the Chief of Staff says the operation in Gaza has fulfilled its objectives, what are we still doing there?” Lieberman asked.
IOF claim operation achieved its objectives
His remarks follow a statement made earlier by Israeli occupation forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, who indicated that the war objectives in Gaza had been exhausted, signaling a potential shift in military posture.
The growing divide between political and military leadership has added further strain to the Israeli war cabinet, where far-right influence continues to shape key decisions despite opposition from within the establishment.
Meanwhile, tensions within Netanyahu’s government escalated after IOF Chief Halevi warned that expanding military operations in Gaza could jeopardize the lives of Israeli captives still held in the Strip. His caution triggered a wave of backlash from far-right ministers, including Ben Gvir and Smotrich, who have long rejected any constraints on the army's actions in Gaza.
Israeli withdrawal stalling talks
A senior Palestinian official speaking to Al Mayadeen revealed that the issue of Israeli withdrawal continues to stall progress in the Doha negotiations. “The withdrawal point is still unresolved, and it is directly linked to the aid mechanism, and vice versa,” the official said.
The source added that the Israeli military refuses to withdraw from several strategic areas, including Rafah, eastern Khan Younis, eastern Gaza City, and Tal al-Zaatar in the northern part of the Strip. Furthermore, the occupation insists on maintaining control over the aid entry points it has established during the conflict, a mechanism the Palestinian Resistance unequivocally rejects.
