Israel's army and Netanyahu are openly clashing over a West Bank crackdown that the military says has outlived its purpose, bad news for thousands of displaced Palestinians and for Netanyahu's grip on power.

• A Hamas-linked attack near Hebron killed two Israeli soldiers days before the election, and Netanyahu ordered a massive crackdown, forcing about 5,000 Palestinians from their homes.
• The IDF's own chief of staff says the operation has no more military justification, soldiers searched hundreds of buildings and found almost no weapons, and troops are reportedly just sitting around waiting it out.
• Netanyahu and his defense minister are overruling the army and keeping the lockdown going anyway, raising accusations that he's using the crisis to shore up his political position after the election left no clear winner.
• Settler violence against Palestinians (and even a Jewish journalist and European diplomats) has been surging for months, and officers worry the prolonged crackdown will fuel more resentment and more attacks, not less.
• With Netanyahu still a caretaker leader and reportedly looking to fire the army chief, a deeper power struggle is brewing over whether the military or the politicians are really in charge.

Outlook: The IDF may pull back from Hebron soon now that the election is over, but the standoff over who controls Israel's security decisions, and Netanyahu's own political survival, is likely to keep escalating.