And, unless I am misremembering, Hamas was also going to ceasefire for a month, and then they broke it. They bought time to regroup.

I think Netanyahu has read the situation correctly. I never ever thought this war was about getting the hostages back. What I saw was that they would keep trying to get the hostages back, but the goal was to destroy Hamas.

There was no reason that Hamas couldn't have given back all the hostages. They didn't for a reason. No one can say for sure, but I don't think Hamas has any intention of ever giving the remaining hostages back. And if there is a ceasefire, Hamas will regroup. The only option, to my mind is to destroy Hamas to a degree that enables western culture to grow in Gaza.

And then Israel needs to get out of the West Bank.

As things are now, there will probably be a war with Iran.