Gaza War: Pressure Mounts on Benjamin Netanyahu for a Ceasefire

“It’s time to make history. Bring ALL the hostages home. End the war,” the Hostage Families Forum wrote on the social network Truth Social on Tuesday evening, in a message addressed to Donald Trump. Raanan Shaked, a star journalist at the daily Yedioth Aharonot, sarcastically wrote: “After 642 days, one more day, week, month, or two months won’t make much difference.” “There’s still time. Go to Washington […] Keep showing that you’re busy ‘closing the gap’” with the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, he added.

Before Monday's attack, seven soldiers were killed on June 25 in a vehicle explosion in Gaza, one of the deadliest attacks against Israeli forces since the war began 21 months ago. According to an AFP tally based on Israeli military data, 450 soldiers have been killed in the military campaign on Gaza since the ground offensive began on October 27, 2023. In response, Israel launched a devastating offensive in Gaza, saying it wanted to destroy Hamas. Public calls to end the war have been made almost daily in recent months by opposition leaders. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Wednesday that "it was time to transform military victory into strategic diplomacy. We must act without delay," according to a statement from his office.

At the latest rally outside an annex of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, protesters urged Donald Trump to push for an end to the war and the return of all hostages. "For the soldiers, for their families, for the hostages, for the State of Israel: this war must end," wrote opposition leader Yair Lapid on X. The ruling coalition, however, overwhelmingly supported Benjamin Netanyahu's desire to continue military operations in Gaza until "the elimination of Hamas's military and governmental capabilities."

At this point, the majority of the Israeli population supports ending the war, says Gideon Rahat, a political science professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He believes the continuation of the war is driven by a "minority ruling the country," consisting of two far-right parties led by Ministers Bezalel Smotrich (Finance) and Itamar Ben Gvir (National Security), who are "more extreme than their own voters." The majority of MKs from Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party "don't dare speak out because they're afraid of Netanyahu," Rahat adds.