Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza to ‘save his political career’, former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas told the Mail’s ‘Apocalypse Now?’ podcast.

Speaking to special correspondent David Patrikarakos, Mr Pinkas argued that Netanyahu benefits from continuing the conflict as it distracts from October 7th’s security failures and the inability to achieve his stated war aim of wiping out Hamas.

The interview comes as Israel announced the death of the leader of the terror group, Mohammed Sinwar, in a massive air strike on the city of Khan Younis.

Mohamed’s brother, Yahya Sinwar, the previous leader of Hamas, was killed by Israeli troops last year.

Asked whether Mohamed Sinwar’s death could bring the sides closer to resolution, Mr Pinkas called the announcement ‘not a game changer’ due to Netanyahu’s vested interest in prolonging the fighting. 

‘Of course, it won’t change the course of the war’, Israel’s former Consul General said.

‘Sinwar deserved to die 17 times over – but that’s not the point. The point is – what are the objectives here? What is the end game? What is the exit strategy? What is the post-war scenario?

The interview comes as Israel announced the death of Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in a massive air strike on the city of Khan Younis 

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‘Israel is deliberately clueless, deliberately vague, deliberately disruptive about what comes next.

‘There are reasons for this. Netanyahu never took responsibility for the calamity of October 7th – for him to prolong and perpetuate the war, gives him distance from that debacle.

‘This is a man who bragged and boasted for years that he’s Mr Security. He’s a genius that knows how to fight terrorism. Well, that all came crashing down.

‘Another reason is that during these twenty months, Netanyahu expanded the war into Lebanon and escalated it with Iran… for which he takes no responsibility.’

‘He also wants to create a political divide between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Judea and Samaria – to prove a Palestinian state is not only discontiguous but impossible to implement.

‘Ending the war creates a reintegration, which would then lead to pressure from the Trump administration –not only to end the war but to enter some kind of negotiated process with the Palestinians that will bring down his coalition.’

 Asked whether Mohamed Sinwar’s death could bring the sides closer to resolution, Mr Pinkas called the announcement ‘not a game changer’. Listen here

Alon Pinkas: ‘Israel is deliberately clueless, deliberately vague, deliberately disruptive about what comes next.’ Listen here

Alon Pinkas: ‘He came out with morally justified ideas about eradicating Hamas. It hasn’t worked – in 18 or 19 months.’ Listen here

Mr Pinkas said the ‘majority of the Israeli public’ believes the prolonging of the war is purely an exercise in saving Netanyahu’s career. Listen here

The coalition government of Israel led by Netanyahu has been described as dominated by warring far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties.

It has a tenuous grip on power, as shown by the narrow passing of Israel’s latest budget in a 59-57 vote.

Mr Pinkas said the ‘majority of the Israeli public’ believes the prolonging of the war is purely an exercise in saving Netanyahu’s career.

‘There’s no question about It’, he told host Patrikarakos.

‘He came out with morally justified ideas about eradicating Hamas. It hasn’t worked – in 18 or 19 months.

‘It took the Allies nine months from Normandy in June 1944 to the outskirts of Berlin. It has been 19 months – for one of the strongest militaries in the world, against a ragtag, savage terror group, to achieve something that would look even remotely like a decisive political victory.

‘For Netanyahu, given his extreme right-wing coalition – this is all about saving his political career.’

To listen to the full interview with Alon Pinkas, search for ‘Apocalypse Now?’, wherever you get your podcasts.