Israel's fresh military operation in the Gaza Strip has the potential to be significantly more lethal and devastating compared to previous ones, as it seeks broader objectives with considerably less restriction.
Israel resumed the war with a surprise bombardment early Tuesday that killed hundreds of Palestinians, ending the ceasefire and vowing even more devastation if Hamas doesn't release its remaining hostages and leave the territory.
President Donald Trump has expressed full support for the renewed offensive and suggested last month that Gaza's 2 million Palestinians be resettled in other countries. Iran-backed militant groups allied with Hamas are in disarray.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is now more robust than ever, and the number of captives within Gaza has dropped below levels seen since Hamas initiated hostilities through their assault on October 7, 2023. This shift provides greater latitude for Israeli defense forces to operate.
All indications point to the possibility that the upcoming stage of this conflict might be even harsher than before, during which tens of thousands of Palestinians lost their lives, a significant portion of the populace was forced into displacement, and large parts of Gaza were reduced to ruins due to bombings.
“If all the Israeli hostages are not freed and Hamas is not removed from Gaza, Israel will respond with a force that you haven’t witnessed,” warned Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday.
Surrender the hostages and remove Hamas from your territory, then new possibilities may arise for you, such as relocating elsewhere globally for those desiring so. Otherwise, the consequence will be utter ruin and desolation.
There is even lesser U.S. pressure to protect civilian lives.
During the initial 15 months of the conflict, the Biden administration offered significant military and diplomatic backing to Israel.
However, it aimed to minimize harm to civilians as well. During the initial phase of the conflict, Biden convinced Israel to ease a total blockade on Gaza and pressed them multiple times to permit greater inflows of humanitarian assistance, though not always successfully. He was against Israel’s operation in southern Gaza last May and halted an arms delivery in response; nonetheless, Israel went ahead regardless. Additionally, Biden collaborated with Egypt and Qatar for over a year to mediate a truce, which President Trump’s administration ultimately helped finalize.
The Trump administration seems not to have imposed any limitations. They haven't condemned Israel's choice to close off Gaza once more, their unilateral decision to withdraw from the cease-fire deal that Trump claimed credit for, or their execution of attacks resulting in numerous casualties including both adults and children.
Israel maintains that it solely focuses on combatants and argues that dismantling Hamas is necessary to avoid another incident like the one on October 7th, when Palestinian militants claimed approximately 1,200 lives, primarily those of civilians, and seized around 251 hostages.
The Biden administration expressed skepticism regarding these objectives, stating several months back that Hamas had lost the capability to execute such an assault.
According to Gaza's Health Ministry, the attack resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian casualties prior to the January truce. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants in their tally, but they state that more than half of those who died were women and children.
Trump has suggested Gaza be depopulated
Trump appeared to lose interest in the ceasefire weeks ago, when he said it should be canceled if Hamas didn't immediately release all the hostages.
A short-lived White House attempt to negotiate directly with Hamas was abandoned after it angered Israel. Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, then blamed Hamas for the demise of the truce because it didn't accept proposals to immediately release hostages.
Hamas stated they would release the remaining hostages – their sole negotiating tool – only in return for additional Palestinian prisoners being freed, a long-term truce, and Israel withdrawing from Gaza, consistent with the terms of the ceasefire pact.
In the meantime, Trump has proposed relocating the entire population of Gaza to different nations, allowing the U.S. to assume control of the area and reconstruct it for future use.
Palestinians assert their desire to remain in their native land, while Arab nations unanimously dismissed the suggestion. Experts on human rights have indicated that this plan could potentially contravene international laws.
Israel has accepted the proposal and mentioned it is preparing plans for implementation.
Netanyahu's administration has never been more robust.
Netanyahu faced significant pressure from the families and supporters of the hostages to maintain the ceasefire so they could be reunited with their loved ones. For several months, thousands of demonstrators had been gathering frequently in central Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, blocking main roads and clashing with law enforcement.
By reigniting the conflict, Netanyahu disregarded their concerns and fortified his staunchly conservative cabinet.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, stepped down to object to the ceasefire but rejoined the cabinet soon after Tuesday’s attacks. Along with Bezalel Smotrich, another right-wing supporter of Netanyahu, he aims to prolong the conflict, advocate for what they call "voluntary relocation" to reduce the population in Gaza, and reconstruct Jewish settlements that were dismantled roughly twenty years prior.
Netanyahu has likewise dismissed or compelled several high-ranking officials who seemed more amenable to a hostage agreement.
Hamas and its supporters are in chaos.
Hamas continues to govern Gaza, yet many of its senior officials have lost their lives, and its military strength has significantly diminished. Israel claims it has eliminated approximately 20,000 fighters, though it hasn’t offered proof for this statement.
Following the cessation of the truce by Israel, Hamas launched three rockets on Thursday, triggering air raid alarms in Tel Aviv but resulting in no injuries.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese organization that engaged in combat with Israel during much of the conflict, had to agree to a ceasefire last autumn following Israel’s aerial and ground operations. These attacks decimated many of Hezbollah’s senior leaders and devastated large parts of southern Lebanon. Additionally, the removal of Syria’s president, Bashar Assad, eliminated a crucial supporter and significantly weakened the militia group even more.
Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, seems improbable to get involved despite having exchanged fire with Israel twice previously. Last autumn, Israel claimed significant harm was done to Iran’s air defense systems during their counter-attacks. Additionally, President Trump warned about potential U.S. military intervention should Iran refuse to enter into negotiations over a revised accord regarding its nuclear activities.
The Iran-supported Houthi insurgents in Yemen have restarted their long-range missile attacks targeting Israel, though these assaults seldom result in significant injuries or extensive destruction. In response, the United States initiated another series of airstrikes against the Houthis, potentially diminishing their operational capacity even more.
Global critique might be less intense.
In the initial stage of the conflict, global demonstrations erupted, accompanied by expressions of dissent from several European officials and interventions within the United Nations framework. Israel faced allegations of genocide before the International Court of Justice, while the International Criminal Court released an order for Netanyahu’s arrest.
This instance might bring about changes.
The Trump administration has arrested foreign-born students who support Palestinian causes along with others, and has threatened to cut off billions of dollars in federal funds from institutions alleged to condone anti-Semitism. This makes it improbable for similar protest activities seen last year to occur again on US campuses. Meanwhile, Europe is deeply engaged in intense disagreements with the Trump administration regarding assistance to Ukraine and new tariff policies imposed by America. As such, it seems less likely that European nations will challenge the United States on matters related to the Middle East.
Both the U.S. and Israel firmly opposed the moves by the international courts, alleging prejudice. In early February, President Trump issued an executive order introducing sanctions against the ICC, despite neither the United States nor Israel being part of this court.
0 Comments