-Analysis-
PARIS – For the past three days, war has once again turned Gaza into a living hell. The two-month ceasefire proved to be nothing more than a brief pause between waves of relentless Israeli bombardments and the ongoing hardships endured by the more than two million Palestinians living in the territory.
Israel, with unwavering support from Donald Trump, blames Hamas for refusing to release the roughly 59 hostages still in its custody, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive.
And yet, the ceasefire agreement reached in January had outlined a three-phase process. The first phase was successfully implemented, leading to the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, as well as the resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Serious negotiations for the second phase, alas, never happened.
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And so, we are witnessing the resumption of war — first from the air, and as of Thursday, on the ground as well. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, and tens of thousands are once again forced to flee.
Bibi’s personal motivations
The interpretation of these events is further muddled by a new political crisis within Israel. A portion of the country is accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of jeopardizing the hostages’ fate by resuming the war for personal motives.
There is, in fact, a striking parallel between the political turmoil, the prime minister’s legal troubles, and the renewed war. So much so that Israeli President Isaac Herzog broke his usual silence Thursday, stating that reservists cannot be called back to fight while decisions are being made that further divide the country — a direct criticism of Netanyahu.
A new controversy involving Qatari money is casting a shadow over Netanyahu’s inner circle.
Protesters are condemning Netanyahu’s decision to fire the head of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, and to resume the war with no regard for the safety of the hostages.
In the background, a new controversy involving Qatari money is casting a shadow over Netanyahu’s inner circle. The details of the scandal remain under censorship, leaving the country abuzz with rumors and the arrests of Netanyahu’s associates.
Eradicating Hamas
The resumption of the war has helped Netanyahu reunite his coalition, with the return of far-right Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who had resigned when the ceasefire was announced. As a result, the prime minister is not worried about being outvoted on the budget, despite growing opposition to his policies.
The real question is Netanyahu’s ultimate goal in this war, beyond personal reasons. Can he truly hope to eradicate Hamas after failing to do so in 18 months of total war, including the elimination of its leader, Yahya Sinwar? Or is he implementing the plan envisioned by Donald Trump to expel all Palestinians from Gaza and turn this destroyed territory into an “Eastern Riviera,” despite Arab countries’ refusal to participate?
Netanyahu enjoys the support of Washington, allowing him to disregard condemnations of the war’s resumption from European and Arab capitals. There are other voices he is also ignoring: the growing number of Israeli citizens who are not pacifists, but refuse to engage in a “neverending war” that has no clear motivations.
