PARIS, June 17. /TASS/. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (2006-2009) says that current PM Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing the conflict in Gaza to serve his own political interests, not those of the country.
"He [Netanyahu] doesn’t have any achievable political or military goal. His idea of ‘total victory’ is absolutely senseless," he said in an interview with the French L’Express magazine.
According to Olmert, Netanyahu is treating the conflict in the Gaza Strip like his own "personal war," a tool to postpone the moment when he has to face the consequences of his decisions.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the start of Operation Gideon's Chariots in the northern and southern parts of the enclave on May 18. Its stated goal is the total defeat of Hamas and the release of all Israeli hostages from Gaza. According to Netanyahu, the operation aims to establish Israeli control of the entire Gaza.