As Israel and Hamas edge closer to a potential ceasefire agreement, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has sharply criticized current PM Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning both his leadership and legitimacy while urging renewed efforts to bring peace to the region. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Olmert said that Hamas no longer poses a meaningful military threat to Israel and stressed that prolonging the war would only deepen the humanitarian crisis and cost more Israeli lives.
The ceasefire discussions, which resumed Sunday, include a proposal for Hamas to release 10 hostages in exchange for a 60-day truce. While the talks have gained traction, deep divisions remain over what a final agreement would entail. Olmert emphasized that Hamas would not release the remaining hostages unless a guarantee was made that the war would end entirely—something Israel is not currently prepared to offer.
According to Olmert, Israel’s military objectives have largely been achieved. “Israel has completely eradicated and destroyed the military capacity of Hamas. It does not pose any significant threat to the state of Israel,” he said. He argued that continuing the war no longer serves a strategic purpose and only delays the return of the 50 Israeli hostages still in captivity.
He also warned that domestic public opinion in Israel is shifting. “The majority of Israelis want the war to end today. They want the hostages home today,” Olmert said, highlighting increasing frustration with the Netanyahu government. Despite holding a technical parliamentary majority, Netanyahu, Olmert claims, no longer represents the will of the Israeli people. Polls consistently show that more than 60 percent of Israelis do not trust or support the current prime minister.
Olmert did not shy away from weighing in on international dynamics, pointing to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential influence over Netanyahu. He suggested Trump has the authority and leverage to push Netanyahu toward ending the conflict but has not yet exercised it effectively. “Trump has the power and authority to force Netanyahu to abide by his demands, and he should have exercised his political capital long ago,” he said.
Responding to Trump’s controversial suggestion that Gaza could be transformed into a “French Riviera of the Middle East,” Olmert firmly rejected any notion of Palestinian displacement. “Gaza is Palestinian, and the Palestinians live in Gaza. They ought to live in Gaza,” he said, urging a focus on preventing future terrorist control of the region rather than on grand redevelopment visions.
As negotiations progress, Olmert underscored the human cost of continued warfare: over 60,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed, including thousands of children. “At this point, it is more important to bring back the hostages than to continue what appears to be a war without a specific objective that can be achieved,” he stated.
In closing, Olmert voiced hope for a new political direction in Israel—one built on compassion, compromise, and long-term cooperation with Palestinians. “Netanyahu is certainly not someone that can be part of it. He will have to go down, and he will go down—and I hope he will go down soon