Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rise in popularity during the war with Iran may already be fading, as pressure mounts at home to end the conflict in Gaza.

Netanyahu claimed victory over the Islamic republic in the 12-day war that ended with a ceasefire last week, after President Donald Trump ordered US warplanes to join in bombing Iranian nuclear sites.

Political scientist Assaf Meydani, in a column on Israeli website Ynet on Saturday, said that alongside a "victory for both Trump and Netanyahu" in Iran, the Israeli leader "will have to explain a series of failures".

Most notable among them, according to Meydani, is Netanyahu's "failure to end the campaign in Gaza", where Israel has been fighting to crush the Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023.

"Hamas, though battered, has not been destroyed, and 'Swords of Iron' has become prolonged attrition," Meydani said, using Israel's name for its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

"The people of Israel are strong, but tensions are........

© Al Monitor