But military testing, though challenging enough in itself, is not the only challenge.
Netanyahu, who has also eroded the goodwill of allies like the United States in his fight for judicial reform, is viewed with deep suspicion in much of the world because of his alliance with fundamentalist religious and nationalist parties.
In addition to pressure over issues such as the continued expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, there has been increased international concern over the number of casualties during the bombing of Gaza.
The economy, surrounded by uncertainty over the judicial overhaul process, which was strongly opposed by much of the business community, has been further hit with businesses in sectors ranging from construction to food services reporting a sharp decline in revenues.
Netanyahu, usually a smooth and confident man, has appeared increasingly erratic, notably an incident this week in which he sent a late-night tweet accusing his intelligence chiefs of failing to warn of the October 7 attack. Accused of.
The tweet was deleted the next morning and Netanyahu issued an apology, but the damage had been done and there was a wave of criticism in the press and throughout the political world.
“He is a man who is unfit to serve as prime minister,” an editorial writer for Israel’s best-selling newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth wrote this week. He said Netanyahu should have resigned or been removed immediately after the October 7 attack.