A slow and very dangerous incursion by Israeli army forces into the northern Gaza Strip. (Photos from the Israeli army spokesman that circulated them for free use and publication in the media.)
There is no Israeli desire to stop the current aggression against the Gaza Strip on the horizon, and all the practical evidence on the ground and the statements repeated by Israeli war officials indicate that the option of continued war is their preferred option, and even the only option.
Perhaps this is the first time in the entity's history that its leaders are not keen on reaching a ceasefire and an extended truce that would allow it to restore internal stability and address the damage it sustained as a result of the war that lasted for about six months.
In the past five wars on Gaza, reaching a ceasefire was something sought by all parties, whether Israeli, Palestinian, or the Arab world, especially the Egyptian mediator, as well as the American, who himself announced from Washington in the “Saif al-Quds” war in 2021 about reaching a ceasefire. Fire, and this was imposed on Netanyahu, who was at that time prime minister, and his government quickly fell after that due to the results of the war.
What makes this war different from previous ones? Why is the occupation not keen to end it and return to normal life? To repair the severe and long-term damage it sustained?
The first thing that comes to mind to answer these questions is the issue of prisoners, as it does not seem that stopping the war without recovering the prisoners will be an easy matter for the occupation. Because he realizes that the price of releasing them after that through a negotiation process will be many times greater than what could be paid during ongoing military operations that put pressure on the Palestinian negotiator. Because of its humanitarian impacts, such as famine in the north, and the lack of stability and security in various areas of the Strip.
Certainly, the occupation leaders hope that at some stage during the ongoing war, they will be able to liberate a portion of the prisoners, either by military force, or by the response of the resistance under the pressure of military operations.
As for the personal topic; It is linked to Netanyahu losing his position, and thus the possibility of him going to prison. Because of the corruption charges in the courts, as well as the investigations that will lead to holding him responsible for the so-called failure on the seventh of October. In addition to these possibilities, there is a call for elections that he will definitely lose this time, according to opinion polls.
This is logical, as voters will look at the last six months of his government, which caused the greatest disasters in the history of the occupation in all fields. Originally, these voters were not happy with a government that included the most extremist members of Israeli society, Ben Gvir and Smotrich, and demonstrations had spread throughout the Israeli entity for nine months. Because of the proposals for judicial amendments that Netanyahu wanted to pass.
Although the issue of prisoners seems logical given its sensitivity, and the fact that it is one of the most important results of October 7, there are other reasons that have a greater influence on the Israeli decision, and push towards the continuation of this war even if the prisoners are released.
Objective reasons for the continuation of the war
The objective aspect relates to security between the Gaza Strip and the occupation, and it includes two points:
The first: is the desire to get rid of the resistance, break its ability to attack again, and carry out operations such as those that occurred on October 7, or simply the ability to launch missiles. This seemed possible at the beginning of the war, but six months passed without Achieving this goal, and without reaching the leadership of the resistance, led by Yahya Sinwar, makes the continuation of the war necessary and cannot be undone.
Second: Who will rule the Gaza Strip if the occupation is able to eliminate the resistance there? This is an issue that has raised many disagreements and controversy between the occupation and its allies, and between relevant powers such as some Arab countries.
This issue is still a matter of disagreement between Netanyahu and the US administration. This disagreement is not just a security matter, as both of them want to provide the highest levels of security for the occupation. The dispute here is purely political. The American administration wants to give a new opportunity to an old project that began in Oslo and talks about a two-state solution, and therefore it prefers to return the Palestinian Authority to Gaza. In preparation for the resumption of research into permanent Palestinian-Israeli arrangements.
As for Netanyahu, he sees the two-state solution as a terrible nightmare. Because his ideology and the positions of his partners in the government refuse to give the Palestinians a state under any circumstances, and prefer to continue settlement and Judaization policies, weaken the Palestinian structure through permanent persecution, attacks and arrests, and turn Palestinian life in the West Bank and Gaza Strip into an unbearable hell. This will push many people to emigrate, and empty the land for the occupation to seize it.
War has become an end, not a means
In the face of all this, the ongoing war on Gaza has turned into an end and a goal, instead of being a means to achieve the goals that Netanyahu has repeatedly announced, simply because they are goals that cannot be achieved by war, but must be accompanied by serious political action that takes into account the aspirations of all parties. Including the Palestinian people, and perceptions of a Palestinian-acceptable solution, which is no less than a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the refugees’ right to return.
Over the past months, Netanyahu has benefited from the American reaction that supported the war, driven by fear for the future of the Zionist project, or the desire to win over the American street, which is preparing for a new vote in the elections scheduled for the end of the year. Opinion polls showed great support for the war, while this support gradually declined until it reached its lowest level according to the results of a Gallup poll, which revealed that 75% of supporters of the ruling Democratic Party oppose the war, compared to only 18% of those who still support it.
Among supporters of the Republican Party, support for the war declined, reaching only 64% instead of 71% last November. The poll also reports that 55% of all Americans oppose continuing the war
These results may explain the change in the US administration’s position, which appeared most clearly during the vote on the recent UN Security Council resolution, when the United States allowed it to pass by abstaining from voting and not responding to Netanyahu’s demand to use a veto, which is the resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire.
Netanyahu and the team of extremists in his government will then have to rethink the entire course of the war, something that will put their government and their political future on the altar. This is the major dilemma facing Netanyahu and his team, which prompted them to shout as loudly as possible that they will not respond to the UN Security Council’s decision to stop the war, as that decision completely contradicts the strategy behind which they have become entrenched, which is war for the sake of war, and killing without limits, so be it.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.