Netanyahu’s patience has run out, Israel violates the ceasefire
Netanyahu’s patience has run out, Israel violates the ceasefire
Israel bombed the Gaza Strip and condemned the deadlock in hostage release negotiations, but Netanyahu’s real goals are political
When the Israeli Air Force dropped the first bombs, many families in Gaza were resting or preparing their pre-dawn meal
Shortly after 1 AM last night, airstrikes carried out from north to south of the Gaza Strip definitively broke the ceasefire that had been in place since January 19
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas, but whose statistics have always matched the reality on the ground according to the UN, over 400 deaths and an unspecified number of injuries have been reported
Meanwhile, Israel continues to ban foreign media access to Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the military attack, saying the group is responsible for repeatedly refusing to release our hostages and rejecting all proposals
In reality, the attack occurred after two weeks of sanctions on food, medicine, fuel, electricity, and other essential supplies for the two million residents of the Gaza Strip, aimed at pressuring Hamas to accept a new agreement
The first phase of the ceasefire had actually ended in early March, but the second phase, which was supposed to initiate negotiations to end the war, never concluded because Israel withdrew and pushed for an extension of the first phase
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced, ‘Tonight we have returned to battle, dispelling any doubts about the Israeli side’s willingness to continue the fragile ceasefire, which has so far resulted in the release of 33 Israeli hostages and about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners’
Netanyahu has abandoned the hostages
The greatest fear of the hostages’ families and Israeli citizens came true as the Israeli government decided to abandon the hostages
The Hostage and Missing Families Association, which brings together the families of the hostages, announced that resuming attacks on Gaza is equivalent to abandoning the hostages still held by Hamas, expressing their shock, anger, and horror at the deliberate dismantling of the process to bring our loved ones home in a statement issued a few hours ago
According to the families of the Israelis still in captivity and their supporters, returning to war before the last hostages are freed comes at the cost of the lives of 59 people still in Gaza who could be saved and returned to their country
A total of 251 people were abducted from southern Israel in an attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023
It is believed that less than half of those still held in the Gaza Strip are alive, their families have declared that the Israeli government has refrained from declaring an end to the war, an action that could lead to the next stages of agreement and their release. Statements released a few hours ago by Izzat al-Rishq, a senior member of the Hamas movement, unfortunately, seem to confirm concerns, stating that the new attacks are a death sentence for the Israeli hostages still held in the area
Chooses Ben-Gvir
But why does the Israeli Prime Minister want to prevent reaching an agreement that would bring the hostages home and end the bloodiest war in Israeli history after 17 months at any cost?
The reason, according to several analysts, lies in Netanyahu’s real goal, which is linked to his political survival, endangered by several corruption cases brought by multiple corruption courts that have surfaced in recent days
The Israeli leader, who had been summoned to court, vehemently denied all charges against him and described the judicial processes as a witch hunt
But to escape the judicial system and prevent opponents from questioning his leadership, he knows he must maintain his majority
For this reason, according to Amos Harel’s report in Haaretz, his plan from the beginning has been to sabotage the ceasefire from the start
The end of hostilities achieved in January under pressure from Donald Trump had actually endangered the stability of the Israeli government, from which the most extremist groups had withdrawn
It is no coincidence that today Israeli media report that former Minister of National Security and leader of the Jewish Power supremacist party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is ready to return to the government within the next few days
As Amir Tibon notes in X, Netanyahu had a choice: bring the hostages back to their families or bring Ben-Gvir back to the government to pass the budget, and he chose Ben-Gvir
Has Washington given its approval?
The return to attack ordered by Netanyahu was pre-announced and approved by the US government led by Donald Trump
White House spokesperson Brian Hughes announced that Washington confirms it was informed of the attack before it happened and gave its approval. Hamas could have released the hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war
In fact, the ceasefire had been violated multiple times in these two months, but today’s bombings are much more extensive than the series of drone attacks that the Israeli military had carried out in recent weeks against suspected individuals or small groups of militants. According to Reuters, the Israeli military has announced that the attacks will continue as long as necessary and may extend beyond airstrikes
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has confirmed, ‘We will continue the war until the hostages return home and all our military objectives are achieved’
Uncertainty increases as Gaza is once again under bombs, as no plan for the future of this region after the war, whether Palestinian, Arab, American, or Israeli, has been defined
Ultimately, it can be said that the end of the ceasefire in Gaza is not surprising, just as it is not surprising that Israel, with Washington’s approval, has made this decision with new intense attacks on the Gaza Strip
In fact, the ceasefire was fragile from the beginning
Prime Minister Netanyahu had declared it temporary from the start and reserved the right to return to war if necessary
And even during the first phase, all indications pointed to the increasing difficulty of maintaining the ceasefire and the widening gap between the parties
The failure of Israeli forces to withdraw from the Philadelphi or Salah al-Din axis prompted Hamas to respond by blocking the release of hostages
However, the new attack is unlikely to bring them home, while the resumption of violence also makes the future of Gaza’s population highly uncertain
