ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit back today against growing criticism of his leadership from the United States.

He also faces mounting pressure in Israel for a deal to free the hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.

In recent days, top officials in the US, Israel’s closest ally which has provided key military and diplomatic support, have publicly voiced their frustration with Mr Netanyahu and his government. 

US President Joe Biden accused him of hurting Israel because his war on Gaza has now killed at least 31,645 Palestinians.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest ranking Jewish politician in the US and a strong supporter of Israel, called on Israelis to hold a new general election, saying that Mr Netanyahu had “lost his way.”

Mr Biden responded by saying that Mr Schumer had given a “good speech.”

Mr Netanyahu claimed today that calls for a new election — which polls suggest he would lose badly — would force Israel to stop fighting and paralyse the country for six months.

“If we stop the war now, before all of its goals are achieved, this means that Israel will have lost the war and this we will not allow,” he insisted.

“Therefore, we cannot, and will not, succumb to this pressure.

“No international pressure will stop us from realising all of the goals of the war: eliminating Hamas, freeing all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel.”

Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli consul-general in New York and an outspoken critic of Mr Netanyahu, said that the prime minister's comments fit with his efforts to find someone else to blame should Israel not achieve its goal of destroying Hamas.

But pressure on Mr Netanyahu and his far-right government is also rising on the domestic front.

Police dispersed protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday, using water cannon and horses as they blocked the normally busy Ayalon highway.

The demonstrators demanded a ceasefire deal to enable the release of the 100 or so remaining hostages, as well as early elections.

In Jerusalem, dozens of protesters were dragged out of the road by police after blocking the Paris Square intersection.

Meanwhile, stalled talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war were set to resume in Qatar today, according to Egyptian officials.

The discussions would mark the first time both Israeli officials and Hamas leaders have joined the indirect negotiations since the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.