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Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot vows to end Hamas rule in Gaza within 18 months if he becomes PM
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said he would end Hamas rule in Gaza within 18 months if he became prime minister. Eisenkot said this could be achieved through U.S. President Donald Trump’s framework for disarming and rebuilding Gaza or through military action.
Israeli opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot set an 18-month target to end Hamas rule in Gaza if he becomes prime minister. Speaking to journalists near the Gaza border, Eisenkot said he aimed to eliminate Hamas’s military wing.
According to Eisenkot, this goal could be achieved by implementing U.S. President Donald Trump’s framework for disarming and rebuilding Gaza or by using military force. The framework envisages placing the administration of Gaza under an internationally supervised committee, deploying an international stabilization force, disarming Hamas, Israel’s phased withdrawal and reconstruction.
Heavy toll in Gaza
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, more than 175,000 people have been injured and approximately 90 percent of the infrastructure has been damaged. Despite the ceasefire declared on October 10, 2025, attacks have continued; 1,501 Palestinians have been killed and 5,323 people injured during this period.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers the disarmament of Hamas a condition for Israel’s withdrawal. Netanyahu has also been subject to proceedings at the International Criminal Court since 2024 over war crimes allegations.
Eisenkot’s criticism of Netanyahu
Eisenkot, who also served as Israel’s chief of staff, argued that Hamas would remain in power in Gaza as long as Netanyahu remained in office. Saying that Hamas had maintained its armed presence in the area and rebuilt its military capabilities, Eisenkot argued that there was a major gap between the military gains achieved in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza and Netanyahu’s failure to achieve his objectives.
Eisenkot also called for the events of October 7, 2023, to be investigated by a state commission and for the necessary lessons to be learned to prevent another catastrophe. On October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israeli military bases and settlements around Gaza, while some Israeli officials described the incident as the biggest intelligence, military and security failure in the country’s history.
Some Israeli officials acknowledged part of their responsibility for the attack and resigned, while Netanyahu denied personal responsibility and opposed the establishment of an official commission of inquiry. Eisenkot’s son, who had previously served in the war cabinet formed for Gaza, was also killed during the war.
Likud accuses opposition leader
Likud, led by Netanyahu, accused Eisenkot of trying to form a government with the support of Palestinian lawmakers in Israel. The party asked how Eisenkot would act to defeat Hamas without the approval of Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi.
According to polls, neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot is expected to reach the 61 seats needed to form a government in the 120-seat parliament on their own. Eisenkot may need the support of Palestinian lawmakers to secure a majority, but those parties have said they would not accept conditions such as recognizing Israel as a “Jewish, democratic and liberal state.”
Palestinians make up more than 20 percent of Israel’s population, and the country’s population exceeds 10 million.
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