Netanyahu declaring ‘total war could cause coup d’etat’ because Israel ‘isn’t winning’

EXCLUSIVE: Speaking to the Daily Star, Professor Anthony Glees warned that Benjamin Netanyahu’s desire for total war with Hamas could prove unpopular with Israeli officials

Benjamin Netanyahu’s “appalling” wish for total war with Hamas could spell disaster for the Israeli President, an expert has warned.

Yesterday (August 7), speaking to Fox News ahead of a security cabinet meeting examining total military control of the Gaza Strip, the Netanyahu claimed his country wanted to occupy the entire Gaza region.

“We intend to,” Netanyahu replied when asked whether Israel planned to occupy the entire strip. “We don’t want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want to be there as a governing body.”

Speaking to the Daily Star, security expert Professor Anthony Glees warned opposition to Netanyahu’s actions towards the Palestinians could land him in hot water with high ranking Israeli officials who are already losing patience with the “fruitless” war against Hamas.

“We’ve already had the statement by former Israeli intelligence chiefs denouncing Netanyahu’s leadership and his conduct of the war against Hamas,” said Mr. Glees.

He added: “One aspect of what Netanyahu says he’s going to do is the military people or the intelligence people who would be critical in this enterprise, will say ‘no, we’re not going to do it’ – and that would be a coup d’etat and could lead Netanyahu to go.”

Mr. Glees said Netanyahu’s new strategy may also sit uneasily with his European allies.

“I suspect Trump will say ‘well, you know – Netanyahu, he thinks it’s the right thing to do, so we don’t want to get in his way’. So he will probably go with it,” he said. “But it will put Starmer and Europe in a difficult position because Israel is their ally.”

“The other risk – apart from the appalling loss of life that I think will ensue – is that it shows that Israel is not really winning this war. It’s converted Gaza into rubble. It will lead to years of misery and death for the Palestinian people.

“The Israelis already control 75% of Gaza, but they cannot get their hostages back. They don’t know where the bodies are – they don’t know where they are being kept. Not only have they not destroyed Hamas, but they are also in the curious position of negotiating with Hamas.

“Now, almost two years on from October 7, Netanyahu wants to declare ‘total war’ – and because he can’t identify who is Hamas and who isn’t Hamas, in effect he is saying to the Gazans, either leave here now, or we will come after you and kill you.

“They’re going to have to interrogate every Gazan male in order to find Hamas, which is impossible. So it’s a recipe for disaster.”

Yesterday Gaza’s hospitals confirmed four fresh deaths “due to famine and malnutrition over the past 24 hours”, according to the local Health Ministry.

That took the overall tally of starvation-linked deaths to 197, including 96 children, and the UN has warned that Israel’s siege of Gaza is endangering babies’ lives. The group has voiced concerns that over 100 premature babies are in “imminent danger”, as fuel shortages obstruct “life-saving” procedures in hospitals.

In recent days, Israel’s military has intensified its assaults, with artillery and air-strikes aimed at sites within Gaza.

It is believed that military leaders have opposed Netanyahu’s “Gaza occupation plans”, deeming them devoid of any strategic or military advantage. They fear that Israel could become embroiled in a protracted and bitter insurgency, with Gazans seeking retribution for the conflict.

There are also fears that increased military pressure on the remnants of Hamas could endanger the lives of remaining hostages. An occupation of Gaza could prolong the conflict for months.

During the assaults on October 7, 2023, an estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel, and over 200 were taken captive. It’s feared that severe malnutrition affects at least 200,000 children in Gaza.