Daniel Levy, an advisor to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, said that the end of the attacks on Gaza “will witness the beginning of the most complex political phase” for Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of having “personal interests” in the Gaza Strip.
During his interview with Anadolu Agency in London, Levy criticized the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the political and military support provided by the United States to Israel, expressing doubts about the Prime Minister’s political goals in Gaza.
Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu and his government have faced sharp criticism inside Israel, as demands for his resignation are increasing due to his government’s “failure to protect citizens.”
According to observers, Netanyahu is seeking to extend the war period with the aim of avoiding being tried in corruption cases that he has faced for years, under the pretext of being preoccupied with the war.
In the face of his government’s failure to protect the Israelis on October 7, opinion polls showed a decline in the people’s support for his re-election, and their tendency towards holding him politically accountable for his failure at the ballot boxes.
Levy expressed his concern about what he described as the seriousness of the situation in the Strip, pointing to what humanitarian and United Nations organizations indicate, that nearly half a million people are at risk of hunger.
Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip
Regarding the Israeli bombing and the resulting human and material losses, Levy reported that Israel “carried out air and artillery bombardments on Gaza indiscriminately, without distinguishing between armed groups and civilians.”
Levy pointed out that “those attacks led to the death of more than 20,000 people, while there are no accurate numbers available about the number of civilians who are still under the rubble.”
He pointed out that “more than 8,000 children were killed in the Israeli attacks on Gaza, and that the effects of the humanitarian catastrophe are clear in the Strip.”
He added: “However, the United States is working hard to avoid any rapid action in the United Nations to put an end to this situation.”
He continued, “We have to be very frank. We cannot deal with this humanitarian catastrophe unless the guns stop.”
Stop the war
When asked when the Israeli aggression on Gaza would end, Levy replied: “I do not have an answer to this question.” He added: “There is limited internal pressure on Israel, and it comes partly from the families of detainees in Gaza, as they believe that the continuation of the war will not lead to their release.”
Levy continued: “The Israeli side has suffered great losses, however, the international community has not yet exerted the necessary pressure to stop these losses. I would like to point out in this context that the United States is considered the main supplier of weapons and provides political and diplomatic support to Tel Aviv.”
Levy also pointed out that the current pressure on Netanyahu to stop the war is not enough, and said: “We should not forget that the end of this war will be the beginning of the most difficult political period for Netanyahu.”
He ended his speech by saying: “Personal interests represent the main driver that motivates Netanyahu not to end this war.”
At a meeting of his Likud party, Netanyahu announced on Monday that “the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip will continue for a long time and is not yet close to its end.”
Until Tuesday, the war resulted in the death of 20,915 Palestinians, and the injury of 54,918 others, most of them children and women. This war also caused massive destruction of infrastructure and led to an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe,” according to Palestinian and international reports.