For the first time, Israeli ministers call on Netanyahu to end the Gaza war.

Israeli ministers told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that it is time to end the war in Gaza and that with every passing day the political damage outweighs the operational benefit of the war.

Israel's private Channel 12 reported on Wednesday evening that senior government ministers (whom it did not name) told Netanyahu: "It is time to begin working to end the war" in the Gaza Strip.

She added that these ministers, along with senior government officials, told Netanyahu that with every passing day, the political damage outweighed the operational benefit.

The channel said the Israeli ministers' statements came in the wake of what it called a difficult call between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, when the US president demanded an end to the war.

She noted that since October 7, 2023, the possibility of ending the war has not been discussed within the government coalition.

On Tuesday evening, Channel 12, citing unnamed informed sources, revealed new details about the phone call between Netanyahu and Trump on Monday.

She added: "Trump said to Netanyahu in the Monday call some phrases that the US administration had not previously said and that seemed decisive."

According to the channel, Trump clearly told Netanyahu: "I want you to end the war."

War and Response

The Israeli opposition and the families of prisoners in Gaza assert that Netanyahu is continuing the war in deference to the more extreme right-wing faction within his government, to advance his personal political interests, particularly his continued rule.

Hamas has repeatedly declared its willingness to release all Israeli prisoners in one fell swoop, in exchange for an end to the war of extermination, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

But Netanyahu, who is wanted by international justice, is evading justice by proposing new conditions, including the disarmament of Palestinian factions, and is currently insisting on reoccupying the Gaza Strip.

With full American support, Israel has been committing genocidal crimes in Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 182,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing, in addition to hundreds of thousands displaced.

Source: Al Jazeera + Anadolu