PM Netanyahu and MK Lapid, before coronavirus hit
PM Netanyahu and MK Lapid, before coronavirus hitNoam Revkin Fenton/Flash90

Ten days after Hamas fired rockets at Jerusalem, sparking Operation Guardian of the Walls, voices in the Likud party have questioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's motivations for the operation.

A senior political adviser and party member was quoted by Maariv as saying, "Netanyahu is using the operation in Gaza in order to drag [it] out during the time that was given to Yesh Atid's chair Yair Lapid to form a government, without any real plans. It also doesn't seem that he really wants to defeat Hamas."

Lapid was tapped to form a government on May 5, and given 28 days to succeed at the task.

Netanyahu "is leaving the relationship between Israeli Arabs and Jews in ruins," the source added.

"Netanyahu is charging towards fifth elections, and taking the country as a hostage. The collapse of Yamina Chairman [MK] Naftali Bennett has given him a tailwind, but the support for him within Likud is weakening."