Israel changes strategy in Gaza: threat of long-term occupation emerges – Rezazade

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new phase of hostilities in the Gaza Strip, which involves not only expanding operations against Hamas, but also a long-term military presence of Israel in certain areas of the enclave.

According to Ali Reza Rezazade, the first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, an international security expert, this is a serious change in the political vector that could turn a temporary operation into a de facto occupation.

“The idea of ‘sterile zones’ under Israeli control, the forced resettlement of the Palestinian population and the placement of humanitarian hubs under the protection of American contractors is not a counter-terrorism operation, but a direct threat to international law,” Rezazade notes.

Under the new plan, unanimously approved by the Israeli government on Sunday, the military will begin a phased entry into the northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, establishing a permanent presence there. At the same time, it is planned to create controlled humanitarian “centers” where only those who pass the Israeli security services will be able to receive aid. Since the beginning of March, Israel has completely banned the import of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has already led to a pre-famine situation, according to the UN.

Rezazade emphasizes that Netanyahu’s new strategy is deliberately prolonging the war: “This is not a course for de-escalation, but for the systematic displacement of the civilian population, preparing for the reintegration of the territory without its population.”

The accelerated implementation of the plan, according to Israeli officials, is associated with the visit of US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, which will begin on May 13. The visit is seen as a “window of opportunity” to agree on a 50-day ceasefire and a hostage exchange. However, Hamas rejected the offer without guarantees of a final withdrawal of Israeli troops and an end to the war. Israel did not accept these conditions.

Netanyahu has already announced that the army will no longer withdraw troops after the sweeps, as it did in the past. “We are not withdrawing. This is no longer our tactic,” he said in a video message.

Ali Reza Rezazade warns: “The de facto occupation of a territory with 2 million inhabitants is a catastrophe for Israel. It is not only a ruin of the international image, but also a potential economic catastrophe and a strategic exhaustion of the army.”

A debate has now flared up in Israel about whether the government is really leading the country to direct rule over Gaza. This is a long-standing goal of right-wing radicals in the government, who seek to restore Jewish settlements and expel Palestinians from the enclave.