Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's job "may be in jeopardy," and Israel will face armed resistance from Hamas "for years to come," according to a U.S. intelligence report released Monday.
The 40-page annual global threat assessment, from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), prefaced its statement on Netanyahu's hold on governing amid the Israel-Hamas war by saying he "has publicly stated his opposition to postwar diplomacy with the Palestinian Authority (PA) toward territorial compromise."
"Netanyahu's viability as leader as well as his governing coalition of far-right and ultraorthodox parties that pursued hardline policies on Palestinian and security issues may be in jeopardy," the report said.
"Distrust of Netanyahu's ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections," the report said. "A different, more moderate [Israeli] government is a possibility."
Israel began its goal of annihilating Hamas in Gaza after terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7 and massacred more than 1,200 Israeli citizens, with 250 others taken hostage.
President Joe Biden, who initially fully supported Israel after the Oct. 7 attack, told MSNBC on Saturday that Netanyahu "must pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost" during the Israel-Hamas war.
In response, Netanyahu said Israel would attack the southern Gaza city of Rafah in pursuit of its ultimate goal of eradicating Hamas.
The ODNI report's comments on Netanyahu are unusual in that spy agencies' unclassified documents rarely offer an analysis of an allied leader's political prospects.
The report also suggested Israel will be unable to wipe out Hamas completely.
"Moreover, Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from HAMAS for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize HAMAS's underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength, and surprise Israeli forces," the report said.
Netanyahu, 74, has vowed to stay on until he has led Israel to "total victory" over Hamas.
However, public opinion has turned sharply against him, and large-scale protests calling for his ouster have occurred in Israel, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Netanyahu also is under pressure from Israel's three-member war cabinet, which includes his two major rivals: Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.