Netanyahu threatens to occupy Gaza: will the negotiations collapse - Rezazade

While Israeli forces already control more than 75% of the territory of the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to permanently occupy the region.

In parallel with the growing escalation, the Donald Trump administration is ending support for “step-by-step” ceasefire agreements - and is demanding the immediate release of all hostages or nothing.

Against this background, international security expert and vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, Ali Reza Rezazade, warns that the crisis around Gaza could not only lead to a humanitarian catastrophe, but also draw new regional players into the conflict.

“A full-scale occupation of Gaza is not about security, it is about a demonstration of strength. But such a strategy has short-term effectiveness and long-term destructive consequences,” Rezazade emphasizes.

According to the expert, the Trump administration’s decision to pursue a hard-line stance in the negotiations — no compromises, no phased agreements — further increases the risk of derailing any negotiations that could save the lives of both Israeli hostages and Gaza’s civilians.

“Such an all-or-nothing policy is explosive when it comes to hostages, especially in an urban war where civilians become shields. It’s a game of chance,” Rezazade added.

While most of Gaza’s more than 2 million people are forced to live in makeshift tent camps, Israel has refrained from military operations only in areas where intelligence suggests hostages may be present. Yet despite the UN’s warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe, Netanyahu’s military strategy is moving toward a complete clearing of the territory.

“The international community must intervene immediately. "If the situation in Gaza is not stabilized now, the conflict could spill over beyond the region. Iran, Hezbollah, and other proxy players are just waiting for the right moment to intervene," the expert concludes.

The US has not officially commented on the Trump administration's position on the new plan, and negotiations on both sides increasingly resemble a stalemate. All-or-nothing negotiations risk destroying the last chance for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.