Netanyahu’s rival vows to end Hamas rule within 18 months if elected

Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot, poised to challenge incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, pledged Thursday to dismantle Hamas rule in Gaza within 18 months if elected. Speaking at a press conference near the war-torn Palestinian territory, Eisenkot, leader of the centre-right Yesh Atid party, vowed to either implement US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan or launch "creative operations" by Israel's military to destroy Hamas' military wing, or both.

Hamas announced in July its intention to transfer authority to a technocratic Palestinian committee called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), but Israel remains skeptical, demanding verifiable disarmament before withdrawing troops. Currently, Israel controls about 70% of Gaza under the ceasefire agreement, with the NCAG not operating within the territory.

Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of strategic failure, stating that Hamas is still sovereign, arming itself, and militarily active after three years of conflict. He also pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry to identify those responsible for security lapses leading up to the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel, a demand the government has thus far resisted.

The upcoming election, the first since Hamas' Oct 7 attack, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths, will determine whether either Netanyahu's bloc or Eisenkot's party can secure the 61 seats required to form a governing coalition in the 120-seat parliament.