Israel is the only country in the Middle East surrounded by hostile neighbors. In recent years, Israel has experienced increased hostilities from their adversaries. Recently, Hamas has intensified its attacks against Israel in the region. In response to the increased actions, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken significant steps to counter the threat from Hamas. These actions, however, have been largely unsuccessful in stopping the attacks. Now, Israel’s history of military responses and the recent failures of Netanyahu suggest that the clock may be ticking for the Prime Minister.
Israel has a long history of responding to Hamas attacks with military measures. After the 2006 Palestinian elections, Hamas increased its rocket attacks targeting Israeli towns. In response, Israel launched Operation “Cast Lead” in 2008, a three-week extensive air campaign aimed at destroying the Hamas infrastructure in Gaza. This operation was followed by Operation “Pillar of Defense”, which saw Israeli raids against Gaza targets in 2012. Each of these Israeli operations have resulted in Hamas continuing their militancy against Israel despite immense losses from the Israeli military campaigns.
In recent weeks, Hamas has intensified its assaults on Israel. This has forced Netanyahu to respond with stronger force. He has deployed additional forces to the Israel-Gaza border, launched several airstrikes into the Gaza Strip, and imposed a series of restrictions on Gaza seeking to choke its economy. While Netanyahu has taken a more aggressive stance in responding to Hamas, his measures have not been enough to stop or even reduce the attacks. The Hamas rockets have continued unabated and the death toll has only risen.
Given Israel’s long history of retaliating against Hamas with military force, Netanyahu’s recent failure to respond to the Hamas attacks could signal the beginning of the end of his era as Prime Minister. Israel’s past actions of responding to Hamas have not ended well and it seems likely they will follow suit in this case. Netanyahu’s lack of success in halting Hamas’ attacks could result in Israel losing confidence in his leadership. This could lead to the Israeli people pressuring Netanyahu to step away or potentially an election defeat.
The recent Hamas rocket attacks and failures of Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategies suggest that the clock may be ticking for the Israeli Prime Minister. It is not clear what will happen next in Israel but it is clear that Netanyahu’s time as Prime Minister could be nearing an end. Only time will tell how this situation will play out, but Israel’s history of responding to Hamas suggests that Netanyahu’s days are numbered.