Netanyahu could soon be ousted, US predicts

Public anger over handling of Oct 7 attacks makes it difficult for Israeli premier to hold on to coalition

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU could be ousted from office over public “distrust” of his strategy in Gaza, US intelligence agencies have said.

A joint report by 18 agencies on the global threat level, published yesterday, found that the Israeli prime minister was facing significant opposition to his “hard-line policies on Palestinian and security issues”.

Mr Netanyahu is under pressure to maintain control of his coalition government, which relies on support from seven parties, amid public anger over the Oct 7 attacks. Protesters gathered in Israel to demand the prime minister’s resignation and the release of hostages from Gaza, with some opposition politicians calling for fresh elections.

On Saturday, protesters clashed with police in Tel Aviv in two separate demonstrations calling on Mr Netanyahu to do more to secure the hostages’ release.

The annual threat assessment by the US director of national intelligence said that the opposition to Mr Netanyahu may have the power to topple his government in favour of a “more moderate” leader. “Netanyahu’s viability as leader as well as his governing coalition of farright and ultra orthodox parties that pursued hard-line policies on Palestinian and security issues may be in jeopardy,” the report said.

“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections.

“A different, more moderate government is a possibility.”

The warning came as Israel launched an investigation into whether a top Hamas leader, the elusive deputy commander of its armed wing, was killed in an air strike over the weekend.

A strike on a building in the Nuseirat refugee camp early on Sunday targeted Marwan Issa, one of the suspected masterminds of the Oct 7 attacks, Israeli media reported. Issa, 59, is the third most senior Hamas leader in Gaza and has been nicknamed “Shadow Man” for his eagerness to avoid publicity.

It came as Mr Netanyahu confirmed the killing of another senior Hamas leader in January. Israel, he said, “has eliminated number four in Hamas. And number three, two and one are on their way”.

He did not name the Hamas official but appeared to be referring to Saleh Al Arouri, a senior Hamas political leader who was killed in an IDF airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon, at the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile Issa’s death, if confirmed, could significantly impact Hamas’s combat operations in Gaza.

The commander has been credited with overhauling the operations of Hamas’s Al Qassam brigades. He would be the highest ranking Hamas official to be taken out by Israel.

His death could also complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages, although Israel says talks are ongoing.