Netanyahu’s Blueprint Commands Control Over Gaza City
On a recent weekend, the government under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu ratified a blueprint that allowed Israel to assert control over Gaza City, an area bustling with roughly a million Palestinians. These individuals constitute half of Gaza’s entire populace and have sought refuge in the city as the Israeli forces have gained command over three-fourths of the remaining land. The aspiration behind Netanyahu’s initiative is the obliteration of Hamas, a notion manifested starkly at variance by many high-ranking Israeli military officials and politically moderate individuals. Despite backlash, Netanyahu’s crusade in Gaza persists, largely influenced by far-right political ideologies within his cabinet, alluding to the notion of resettlement and promoting the idea of ’emigration’ among Palestinian inhabitants.
The prospect of a full-scale invasion of Gaza City remains uncertain, with some conjectures suggesting it to be an intimidation strategy in negotiations with Hamas for the liberation of about two dozen living captives. If the invasion does materialize, it is bound to amplify the already critical humanitarian crisis. Data from the Gaza Health Ministry indicates that famine has claimed the lives of two hundred and twelve Gazans since the commencement of the war, signaling a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian condition. The total number of Palestinian casualties has now surpassed a shocking figure of sixty thousand.
As controversial as Netanyahu’s military proposition sounds, it makes one question the degree of its aggressiveness. There’s always the unresolved matter of understanding Netanyahu’s true intentions behind his statements. This tactic, as Netanyahu proclaims, is the ultimate means to vanquish Hamas. The failure of negotiation attempts over hostage release has fostered a belief in him that military pressure on Hamas should be reignited.
Contrastingly, the current state of Hamas differs significantly from its past; it has evolved from maintaining a military-like structure to adopting guerrilla warfare tactics, which only makes it harder to eliminate them. Previous structures were marked by an order, a hierarchy, a solid chain of command, individuals designated to call the shots. This has been replaced by a much more dispersed setting. Almost all of their leaders have been slain, a majority of their combatants are either fatally wounded or deceased, replaced by younger individuals, some merely adolescents who receive preliminary training before being dispatched to battlefronts.
The challenge lies within the fact how does one triumph over such an organization? There are no defining moments anymore. Then of course there exists the cumulative opinion of the two right-wing factions. Their desires extend beyond mere victory in the war; they are after the complete annihilation of Gaza. They aspire for what they describe as ‘voluntary emigration’, but in reality, it is forced displacement that results from rendering existing life conditions intolerable. Furthermore, the idea of reviving settlements prevails. This line of thinking reveals the readiness of these politicians to risk the lives of hostages.
Netanyahu is a product of his environment, coming from an eminent right-wing family. His career history traces a long association with right-wing politics and he’s been a staunch ambassador of settlements. Therefore, an interesting debate arises whether his actions are meticulously choreographed or merely opportunistic.
Among his supporters, there are those who steadfastly believe that his actions are part of a grand strategy, referencing his discourse dated back to October 8th when Netanyahu proclaimed his ambitions to reshape the Middle East. Supporters put forth his role in banishing Hamas, annihilating Hezbollah in Lebanon, and dismantling Iran’s nuclear aspirations as testament to his strategic foresight. They argue that everything that has transpired was a part of a master plan.
On the contrary, there are those who believe Netanyahu is mostly extemporizing, making strides as he sees fit in order to maintain his position. As a stalwart right-winger, he has always opposed the idea of a two-state solution and has consistently battled against it. His emotional detachment to settlements is apparent; he has never contemplated moving there or related matters.
In recent times, it seems people are becoming increasingly cognizant of the stalemate that has arisen. Negotiations for the release of hostages have reached an impasse, combat shows no signs of abating, and the government adamantly rejects deliberations regarding the post-war scenario or the participation of the Palestinian Authority.
Previous opportunities to negotiate an interim settlement have been ignored. This was a moment of potential breakthrough that could have halted, or at least slowed down the unending strife. But unfortunately, it was an opportunity lost by Netanyahu.