Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues his headlong flight and, after a meeting lasting more than ten hours with military and security chiefs, announced that he will launch a plan to occupy the Strip, starting with its main population center, Gaza City, home to an estimated one million people. The length of the meeting is already indicative of the resistance Netanyahu has encountered within his own general staff, which believes the army currently lacks sufficient troops to sustain an operation of this magnitude over time and that it would also put the lives of the hostages still in the hands of Hamas at risk.
The truth is that Netanyahu's decision has received strong criticism abroad, but also at home, where major demonstrations of support for the families of the hostages and against the occupation of Gaza are expected in the coming days. Diplomatically, Israel continues to find itself increasingly isolated. A country like Germany, which until now has always refused to approve reprisals against Israel or openly condemn the siege of Gaza, has announced that it is halting the export of arms that could be used against the Palestinians.
Analysts consulted by ARA warn that Israel has previously attempted to take complete control of Gaza and has so far always failed. It involves operating in a densely populated area that is simultaneously devastated by bombing, where people lack basic supplies and where the enemy, Hamas, moves easily through its network of underground tunnels. Why should it work now? No one knows, because the Israeli government has not provided any details of the operation. Only photographs of military leaders meeting to discuss how to respond to the government's request have been made public.
In a way, the Israeli prime minister's step also buries any diplomatic options, as negotiations with Hamas are suspended. However, Netanyahu will be able to take the right path as long as he has Washington's support. Only Donald Trump, who these days insists he wants to win the Nobel Peace Prize and is sponsoring an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, could force Netanyahu to abandon his plans and return to the negotiating table.
The decision is likely due to Netanyahu's growing impatient and fearful of losing the support of the population. October 7th will mark two years since the horrific Hamas attacks that left 1,139 dead and 250 people taken hostage. Aside from Netanyahu's failure to take responsibility for the security lapses that led to the massacre, the Israeli prime minister has also failed to meet the two objectives he set for himself: destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages. Not even his strategic victories against Hezbollah in Lebanon and against the Iranian regime have managed to cover up this failure. After two years, Israeli society is beginning to show signs of tiring of Gaza, and its prime minister is offering them only a path of war with no peace in sight.
