‘Incredibly unpopular’ Netanyahu poised to prolong Gaza war to maintain government: Analysis

The Israeli prime minister’s calculations remain as they were before as he drags on the fighting and killing in Gaza, says Dan Perry, Israeli affairs analyst and the former regional editor of the Associated Press news agency in the Middle East. “Netanyahu has clearly decided that he can’t let his government fall, which it probably would if he ends the war, even in exchange for the hostages,” Perry told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv. “Israel walked away from the deal it signed under pressure from the US in January, which would have ended the war,” he said, adding that Hamas does not wish to lay down its arms under any circumstances, either.