Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is feeling a lot of pressure lately. The United States is urging him to prevent a disaster in Rafah, a city in Gaza, but some members of his government want him to attack Hamas there.
Netanyahu is known for acting tough, but he’s not always good at making big decisions, especially ones that could cost a lot of money or lives.
Israel said they might attack Rafah if all their people held hostage weren’t returned by March 10. Netanyahu recently said they’ve set a date for the attack, but the U.S. and Israel haven’t been told when.
“It’s a tough situation,” said Jonathan Schanzer from a think tank in Washington. “The politics are getting in the way of what needs to be done. Both Biden and Bibi (Netanyahu’s nickname) need to talk it out like friends.”
President Biden wants to help Palestinians and has asked Netanyahu to allow more aid into Gaza and to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas for a few weeks. But in Israel, some people don’t like the idea of a ceasefire and want to see a big attack on Rafah.
“If Netanyahu ends the war without attacking Rafah, some people won’t support him anymore,” said Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Netanyahu is in a tough spot. He made deals with far-right politicians to stay in power, but they’re not happy with how things are going.
Opposition groups in Israel are also unhappy and are calling for new elections. They’re mad at how Netanyahu is handling the war and the hostages still held by Hamas.
Netanyahu is also facing corruption charges in court. Some people think he cares more about staying in power than ending the war.
Biden wants Israel to make a ceasefire deal to free 133 hostages, but Hamas says they don’t have that many hostages. It’s unclear how many are still alive and where they are.
Biden’s plan is to let the Palestinian Authority take control of Gaza after the war, but Netanyahu and his allies don’t like that idea.
Netanyahu is under pressure, but he’s listening to Biden and has slowed down military operations in Gaza. However, Hamas is still strong, and they don’t want to agree to a ceasefire yet.
It’s a tough situation for everyone involved, and there’s still a lot of uncertainty about what will happen next.
