The past few weeks have not gone Netanyahu’s way. Tel Aviv has largely been sidelined in the talks between Tehran and Washington aimed at ending a war that the US and Israel jointly initiated. 3 min read May 30, 2026 06:50 AM IST First published on: May 30, 2026 at 06:50 AM IST In a clear violation of the October 2025 Donald Trump-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had ordered the military to take control of 70 per cent of Gaza, where the population is crammed into the little territory that remains habitable. That Israel was not abiding by the ceasefire had long been evident from its continued strikes on Gaza even as West Asia was engulfed by the Iran war. Yet it is difficult not to wonder if Netanyahu’s decision to escalate further, at this particular moment, serves his political objectives ahead of the country’s first elections since Hamas’s horrific October 7, 2023 terror attack. The past few weeks have not gone Netanyahu’s way.…