Gadi Eisenkot, Benjamin Netanyahu’s main rival, has pledged to end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip within 18 months if he becomes Israel’s prime minister.
The former army chief said Netanyahu had failed to achieve Israel’s war aims three years after Hamas’s October 7 attack, warning that threats remained on all fronts.
Speaking near the Gaza border, Mr Eisenkot recalled his son and two nephews who were killed during the war. The 66-year-old leads the centrist Yashar party.
“I pledge that within 18 months of entering the prime minister’s office, Hamas will no longer rule the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Mr Eisenkot said he would pursue the objective either through US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which Mr Netanyahu’s government has accepted, or through military and operational capabilities “that will lead to the destruction of Hamas’ military wing”.
“I know how to do that,” added Mr Eisenkot, who served as Israel’s military chief from 2015 to 2019.
He argued that Hamas would remain in power for as long as Mr Netanyahu led the country. “Three years after October 7, Hamas is still the ruler in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party responded by asking: “How do you want to topple Hamas without the permission of your partners Mansour and Tibi?”
The remark referred to Arab MPs Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi. Opinion polls suggest neither Mr Netanyahu’s camp nor the opposition is on course for an outright majority in the October 27 election.
Arab parties could therefore influence the formation of the next government, although several Jewish parties, including some in the opposition, have ruled out joining a coalition with them.
Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly promised an “absolute victory” over Hamas. However, the militant group still controls about half of the Gaza Strip and is reportedly recruiting new fighters.
