Analysis of the struggles that Israel’s President Netanyahu must wage to maintain his power

As fighting in Gaza continues – fighting has killed more than 300 Israeli soldiers and more than 37,000 Palestinians – senior officers are increasingly calling for a plan for the “day after”: Who would govern Gaza after the fighting ends?

For the commanders, the issue is a military necessity. Without a plan for how an authority can take control, they cannot withdraw troops from Gaza without fear that Hamas will quickly regroup, rearm and threaten to carry out another October 7 attack.

For Netanyahu, this is a political minefield. His most extreme partners are calling for Israel to permanently occupy Gaza and even rebuild Jewish settlements there.

Netanyahu feels caught in a bind and refuses to even come up with a plan. When pressed, he simply reiterated that Israel will keep fighting until Hamas is “destroyed.”

The military leadership, which is close to finalizing its target lists in Gaza, appears to have had enough. The complaints that they had been sharing confidentially with reporters for weeks have become increasingly public. Earlier this week, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said in an interview: “Hamas cannot be destroyed. Hamas is an idea. Anyone who thinks it can be made to disappear is wrong.”

The military remains one of the country’s most respected institutions.