Netanyahu's troubles increase - to please Trump or save his chair: Israel protests over decision to withdraw troops from Gaza, elections after 2 months

On July 30, US President Donald Trump claimed that a historic agreement had been reached on Gaza. Hamas is ready to lay down its arms. At the same time, the Israeli army will also withdraw from Gaza. After Trump's announcement, questions have begun to be asked: Will Israel really withdraw its troops from Gaza? This condition has now become the cause of the biggest controversy in Israeli politics. Many leaders in Israel and the media there are angry about the agreement. On the one hand, Trump is claiming that Israel is very happy with this agreement. Israel, on the other hand, has not yet made any official statement on the matter. According to a report by Al Jazeera, a senior Israeli government official said there was no question of withdrawing troops from Gaza until it was certain that Hamas would give up its weapons completely. Why is there so much opposition in Israel to the withdrawal of troops from Gaza? After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Israel launched a major military operation in Gaza. Since then, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and large parts of Gaza have been destroyed. However, a large number of people in Israel are still in favor of tough military action against Gaza. Clearly, the idea of withdrawing troops from Gaza and re-establishing a Palestinian government there is not liked by many in Israel. They fear that if the army withdraws, Hamas could regain strength and launch an Oct. 7 attack. This is the reason why many government ministers have advocated the establishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza on the lines of the West Bank. In such a situation, it is natural to oppose the withdrawal and reconstruction plan from Gaza. Which leaders opposed it the most? Bezleil Smotrich: Minister of Finance Smotrich, who was finance minister in the Netanyahu government, said Israeli troops should not be withdrawn from Gaza. The first condition is to snatch weapons from the Hamas people. Eventually, Israel will gain control of all of Gaza and Jewish settlements will be re-established there. National Security Minister Ben Gvir has called Trump's plan "bad" and said that if Hamas militants are stopped being targeted, they will have a chance to launch the next attack. Military action in Gaza should continue and the evacuation of people from there should be encouraged. Gadi Eisencote: Former Army Chief It's not just far-right leaders who are opposing Trump's announcement. Former army chief Gadi Eisencott is also believed to be against it. Carr is considered Netanyahu's biggest opponent in the elections to be held in October this year. "If Hamas's military and political power is not completely exhausted, it will be a major failure for Israel," he said. He also said that Hamas is as strong as ever. Why is Netanyahu in the most difficult situation? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet said anything publicly on the deal. But political analysts believe that perhaps their silence shows how difficult they are. On the one hand, there is Trump, who considers the deal a major diplomatic victory. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has his own hard-line right-wing allies, who are strongly opposed to the withdrawal of troops from Gaza. If Netanyahu agrees to withdraw troops from Gaza, his far-right allies and voters could turn away from him before the election. On the other hand, if they reject the deal outright, Trump and the United States could be angry. Experts believe Netanyahu will probably take the middle path. That is, the army will pretend to withdraw from some areas, but will not get out of Gaza completely. It is very difficult for Netanyahu to offend Trump, and the pressure on Netanyahu is not only from within Israel, but also from the United States. According to Dov Waxman, a professor at the University of California, Netanyahu would not want to risk spoiling relations with Trump just before the election. In recent times, there has been a growing debate in Israel that the Trump government's attitude is not the same as before. But almost everyone is of the opinion that U.S. military and security cooperation is necessary for Israel. Therefore, the opposition has been constantly warning Netanyahu that if relations with the United States deteriorate, he will suffer the political losses. In addition, Netanyahu, who is facing corruption cases, is expected to receive political and moral support from Trump. Netanyahu also wants Trump to make a big diplomatic or political advantage for him in the election environment. This could include measures such as a major agreement to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel or support for ongoing legal cases against them. Will Israel really leave Gaza? The answer to this question seems to be 'no' at the moment. Experts believe that the possibility of a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza is almost impossible. Netanyahu can show Trump that the deal is moving forward. For this, they can pretend to announce an agreement, have a signing ceremony or do something else, but that doesn't mean Israel will withdraw troops from Gaza. According to experts, the withdrawal of troops from Gaza is not just an electoral or political compulsion. It is also an important part of Netanyahu's security policy. He has always believed that Israel should maintain a military presence even outside its borders to prevent threats. In such a situation, as the election approaches, Netanyahu may take a tougher stance rather than back down from Gaza.