Eisenkot vows to destroy Hamas within 18 months of becoming PM

Israeli opposition politician Gadi Eisenkot, the primary challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in upcoming elections, pledged today to eradicate Hamas in Gaza within 18 months if he assumes the role of prime minister following the October 27 vote. The leader of the centre-right Yesh Atid party made the commitment at a press conference near the war-torn Palestinian territory.

He stated that he would accomplish this goal either by adhering to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, which involves disarming and transferring power to Hamas, or by implementing aggressive military actions to dismantle Hamas's armed wing. Eisenkot, a 66-year-old former military chief, is one of the most assertive pledges made thus far by the politician.

The upcoming election will be the first since Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people. In retaliation, Israel has launched a massive offensive in Gaza, causing the deaths of more than 74,300 people, according to Hamas-controlled health figures widely regarded as accurate by the United Nations.

During his statement, Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of a "strategic failure" in Gaza, where he noted that "Hamas remains the sovereign authority... continuing to arm itself and engage in military activities" three years after the ongoing conflict. He also reiterated his commitment to creating an inquiry commission to identify those accountable for any security failures preceding the October 7 attack, a proposal the current administration has yet to endorse.

"There is a means to avert the next catastrophe," he declared. Eisenkot, like other opposition politicians, routinely blames Netanyahu for personal responsibility for the October 7 assault, often pointing to his alleged failure in addressing warnings from security services and the United Arab Emirates. Current polls indicate that neither Netanyahu’s bloc nor Eisenkot's side possess the necessary 61 seats required to control the 120-seat parliament and establish a governing coalition.