Eisenkot pledges to end Hamas rule and destroy its military wing within 18 months, accusing Netanyahu of failing to turn battlefield gains into lasting security

Gadi Eisenkot, former chief of the Israel Defense Forces and leader of the Yashar! with Eisenkot party, pledged during a speech near the Gaza border that a government led by him would end Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip and destroy its military wing within 18 months of taking office. He placed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime record at the center of his election campaign.