Dr. Hussein Al-Deek: Breakthroughs in the Palestinian issue are out of reach, and an expected escalation by settlers in the West Bank in 2025

Sari Samour: No clear indications of a political solution in 2025, but rather expectations of increasing escalation and no hope for establishing a Palestinian state

Dr. Saad Nimr: 2025 will be the year of monopolizing the West Bank to implement settlement expansion plans and attempt to annex more lands

Dr. Raed Abu Badawiyya: The most that can be achieved in the next phase is a shackled “Palestinian civil administration” without a political horizon towards establishing a state

Samer Anabtawi: The current stage, despite its difficulty and cost, is a “narrow path” that the Palestinian people are passing through on their way to achieving their rights

As the beginning of the year 2025 approaches, fears are rising about the continued absence of a political horizon to resolve the Palestinian issue in light of local, regional and international complications, coinciding with the ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip and the continuation of settlement ambitions in the West Bank.

In separate interviews with “I”, writers, political analysts, specialists and university professors believe that there are a number of challenges facing the Palestinians in 2025, starting with the internal division, and the escalation of American support for Israel led by the administration of President Donald Trump, and reaching the policies of the Israeli occupation aimed at strengthening settlements and imposing new facts on the ground, especially in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

They point out that the new year may witness an Israeli escalation in the West Bank, with an intensification of settlement activity and attempts to annex large parts of the Palestinian territories. In the Gaza Strip, Israel is expected to impose a temporary calm, which may be accompanied by strict security arrangements that hinder any prospect of achieving Palestinian independence, and the continuation of attempts to re-settle, which deepens the humanitarian and political tragedy of the Palestinian people.

Writers, analysts, specialists and university professors believe that the chances of establishing an independent Palestinian state seem more remote, while they stress the importance of strengthening national unity and popular steadfastness in the face of these plans, pointing out that the Palestinian people, despite the losses, will continue to adhere to their rights and positions in the face of extremist Israeli policies, but that requires strengthening national unity and rejecting division.

The West Bank is the battlefield...and Palestinian divisions complicate the scene

The writer, political analyst and specialist in American affairs, Dr. Hussein Al-Deek, confirms that talk of political breakthroughs in the Palestinian issue during the year 2025 seems unlikely in light of the complex political situation that the Palestinian arena is suffering from, while things will remain as they are in the year 2024 with slight changes.

Al-Deek explains that this complexity stems from several main factors, most notably the internal Palestinian divisions, Israeli settlement policies, and the international support the occupation receives, especially from the United States and Britain.

Al-Deek points out that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is not an ordinary political dispute, but rather an existential conflict between Palestinians seeking to preserve their existence on their land, and a colonial settlement occupation based on extremist political and religious ideologies.

Al-Deek believes that international support for the occupation, led by major powers since World War II, represents a major obstacle to achieving any political progress for the Palestinian cause.

Al-Deek believes that the year 2025 will witness a major escalation in the West Bank, which he described as the next battlefield in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Al-Deek explains that the settlement attack led by the far-right Israeli government, supported by US cover, will escalate significantly.

Al-Deek points out that the settlers, who operate as militias supported by the Israeli army and police, are seeking to control more West Bank lands.

Al-Deek points out that the West Bank may witness violent clashes between Palestinian citizens and settler gangs in 2025, especially in rural areas and mountains, as these clashes will be a direct result of the occupation’s attempts to impose its full control over the Palestinian territories, which reflects the absence of any horizon for a political solution.

Regarding the Gaza Strip, Al-Deek expects that the year 2025 will witness a temporary truce that may lead to a ceasefire for a limited period, but Israel is not seeking to achieve a permanent ceasefire, but rather is working to achieve strategic goals represented in destroying the Palestinian resistance and displacing the largest possible number of residents of the Strip.

Al-Deek points out that Israel seeks to achieve this goal either through forced displacement or by opening the crossings to make way for voluntary displacement.

Al-Deek explains that these policies aim to ensure that the Gaza Strip does not pose a future threat to Israeli national security, and that the right-wing Israeli government considers full control over Gaza as part of its strategic goals to achieve what is known as “Greater Israel.”

Regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state, Al-Deek stresses that this dream seems out of reach under the current political circumstances.

Al-Deek points out that the internal divisions between Palestinian factions, whether inside or outside the PLO, contribute greatly to the complexity of the scene, and that the representative institutions of the Palestinian people, such as the Legislative Council and the PLO, still suffer from the absence of the democratic process and the failure to hold periodic elections.

Al-Deek explains that the ongoing Palestinian division weakens the Palestinian position on the international scene and further complicates efforts to achieve any progress towards establishing a Palestinian state.

Al-Deek points out that the Arab regional situation does not help in this context, as he described the Arab position as a shy supporter, subject to the balances and interests of major countries, especially the United States.

Dr. Al-Deek addresses the role of the international community, pointing out that the promises made by the major powers to the Palestinians remain mere slogans that cannot be implemented.

Al-Deek cites previous experiences, such as the promises to establish a Palestinian state after the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, and the launch of the Road Map in 2002, which did not translate into any real progress on the ground.

Al-Deek asserts that the world is still governed by the language of interests, as the United States controls the positions of many countries, including Arab countries, which hinders any real support for the Palestinian cause.

Al-Deek stresses that the year 2025 will not bring political breakthroughs, but will witness more escalation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Al-Deek points out that the continuation of the Israeli occupation with its settlement policies and the support of the major powers makes achieving any political progress unlikely.

Al-Deek stresses that the Palestinian people will continue to face major challenges, which require internal unity and intensive efforts at the political and field levels to confront the occupation and its expansionist policies.

The most that can be expected is a swap deal.

Writer and political analyst Sari Samour believes that the year 2025 holds great ambiguity regarding the Palestinian issue, with the current situation of Israeli aggression and ongoing Palestinian resistance continuing, without clear indications on the horizon of a political solution. Rather, an upcoming escalation threatens the region, indicating that there is no hope for establishing a Palestinian state.

Samour stresses that the current scene lacks any signs indicating the possibility of achieving political progress, pointing out that the most that can be expected on the Palestinian level is a prisoner exchange deal.

In his analysis of the general situation, Samour points out that the global and regional political arena is witnessing a state of escalating tension, despite the statements of US President-elect Donald Trump, who is promoting the possibility of achieving breakthroughs in pending issues at the global level, and not just in the Middle East region.

But Samour is not optimistic about these promises made by Trump, citing data indicating a continuous escalation in many arenas and fronts around the world.

Sammour believes that regional and international celebrities may witness the transfer of conflicts from one region to another, such that a conflict is extinguished in one place and then ignites in another region.

Samour links this situation to the existence of Israel, stressing that it represents a major obstacle to achieving stability in the region.

"As long as Israel exists, stability remains elusive in the Middle East," Samour says.

As for the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state, Samour considers this possibility unlikely, at least during the next two years.

Samour points out that the current situation, whether on the political or field level, does not support any optimism in this direction, with the continuation of Israeli policies that obstruct any efforts to achieve the two-state solution.

Samour confirms that the next stage may be saturated with tensions and escalation in more than one arena, with the Palestinian people continuing to suffer, without a real horizon that changes the nature of the current scene.

Calm in Gaza and cooling of the fronts or escalation that may extend to a regional war

Dr. Saad Nimr, a professor of political science at Birzeit University, believes that the year 2025 may witness one of two main paths: either a calm in the Gaza Strip and a cooling of the fronts as a result, or a major escalation that may extend to a regional war that includes Iran and Yemen.

Nimr explains that the scene in the Gaza Strip is leaning towards achieving a temporary calm and ceasefire, with the possibility of concluding a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.

However, Nimr points out that the negotiations are facing pressure and obstacles, especially from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seeking to achieve political gains from this deal.

According to Nimr, the new US administration is working to achieve a calm in Gaza within the framework of a policy to reduce tension in the region, while Israel is trying to put strong pressure on the Palestinian resistance, led by Hamas, to achieve its conditions in the prisoner exchange deal, as it seeks to appear victorious.

However, Nimr points out that any agreement in Gaza will remain temporary, without leading to radical solutions to the situation there.

On the regional side, Nimr expects a possible escalation in the Middle East, especially with Israeli threats to strike Iran and the Houthi group in Yemen.

Nimr explains that such an escalation could lead to a large-scale regional war, especially if the United States intervenes to support Israel.

Despite President-elect Donald Trump's statements that he does not seek to start new wars, Nimer points out that the matter depends on the extent to which Netanyahu and his government are able to convince the US administration to participate in such a conflict.

It is believed that these developments will greatly affect regional stability, putting the Middle East on the brink of an unprecedented phase of tension.

Nimr believes that the year 2025 will be the "year of the West Bank" and that it will be monopolized to implement the occupation's plans, noting that the Israeli plans will focus on expanding settlements and trying to annex more Palestinian lands.

Nimer points out that the far-right Israeli government, led by figures such as Bezalel Smotrich, seeks to achieve a vision based on dividing the West Bank into three cantons: northern, central and southern, isolated from each other.

Nimr explains that this policy will be implemented with possible support from the US administration led by Trump, who had previously announced during his election campaign his support for expanding Israel and that its area is small.

Nimr asserts that the policy of annexation and annexation in the West Bank will lead to the confiscation of large areas of land, while tightening the noose on the Palestinians, pointing out that this policy reflects a clear Israeli rejection of any idea related to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Regarding the future of the Palestinian state, Nimr believes that this dream has become out of reach in light of current Israeli policies.

Nimr asserts that the statements of the Israeli government and the Knesset reflect a complete rejection of the idea of establishing a Palestinian state, pointing out that the new US administration, led by Trump, supports this approach.

Nimr explains that Trump has previously stated that he does not consider the two-state solution the only solution, hinting at the possibility of proposing alternative solutions that serve the Israeli vision.

Nimr believes that the next stage may witness a greater escalation in the West Bank, pointing out that “Israeli plans for 2025 will focus on the West Bank, just as the plans in the previous year focused on Gaza.”

Nimr points out that the year 2025 will bring many surprises at the regional and local levels, with the possibility of an escalation of violence in the West Bank due to expansionist Israeli policies, amid the absence of any clear political horizon.

Nimr stresses that the situation in the region will remain dependent on the ability of the various parties to manage tensions and prevent the outbreak of new conflicts that could lead to further instability.

Regional, international and local factors weaken the prospects for political solutions

Dr. Raed Abu Badawiyya, Professor of International Law and International Relations at the Arab American University, believes that the next phase, starting in 2025, will be full of dark challenges for the Palestinian cause.

Abu Badawiya attributes this to a group of regional, international and local factors that intertwine to weaken the prospects for political solutions and consolidate extremist Israeli policies with absolute support from the US administration led by Donald Trump.

Dr. Abu Badawiya points to three main factors that will shape the features of the next stage. The first is that Trump’s presence in power represents strong support for the Israeli settlement vision, whether in the West Bank or Gaza. Trump is also in harmony with the right-wing Israeli ambitions, which seek to control and impose sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories, especially in Area C of the West Bank.

According to Abu Badawiya, the second factor is that the political program of Netanyahu’s government and the Israeli right is moving rapidly towards imposing full sovereignty over the West Bank, while completely rejecting the idea of establishing a Palestinian state. Abu Badawiya points out that the agreement between the government and the Israeli opposition revolves around preventing any form of Palestinian independence and supporting Judaization and settlement projects.

He addresses the third factor, which is that the region is witnessing a decline in the influence of resistance forces, such as Hezbollah and Iran, in addition to the collapse of the Syrian regime, which has weakened the axis of resistance in confronting Israel.

This regional decline, according to Abu Badawiya, gives Israel more courage to implement its expansionist plans in the Palestinian territories.

Abu Badawiya expects that the year 2025 will witness Israeli attempts to impose a new reality in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, supported by American trends that reinforce these policies.

He explains that the US administration is seeking to achieve a calm in Gaza, which may include stopping major military operations in exchange for security arrangements that guarantee the continuation of Israeli control over the Strip.

Abu Badawiya believes that any calm will be accompanied by additional restrictions on the Palestinians, and will be limited to preventing a major escalation without providing any substantive political solutions.

He explains that Israeli policies in the West Bank are moving towards annexing large areas, especially Area C, while imposing additional restrictions on Palestinians in Areas A and B.

Abu Badawiya believes that the United States of America will try to push the Palestinian Authority to play a specific security role, which will put it in a sensitive position and place it at a difficult crossroads.

In practice, Abu Badawiya believes that the expected role of the Palestinian Authority will be reduced to a civil administration that is politically and security-bound, with strict conditions from Israel and the United States, without any political horizon for achieving the dream of a Palestinian state.

Abu Badawiya believes that the acceleration of the wave of Arab normalization with Israel, especially by influential countries such as Saudi Arabia, poses a great danger to the Palestinian cause, as normalizing relations without linking them to clear conditions for resolving the Palestinian issue will weaken the Palestinian position and strengthen Israeli ambitions.

Abu Badawiya believes that Israel will work to create difficult living conditions for the Palestinians, especially in the West Bank, to push them towards voluntary displacement, and perhaps later towards forced displacement.

On the domestic front, Abu Badawiya asserts that the ongoing Palestinian division weakens the national position and exacerbates challenges, in light of the pressures the Palestinian Authority is facing to accept proposals that conflict with what the Palestinian people want.

He points out that the current situation portends the danger of escalating internal fighting in light of American and Israeli requirements, which aim to restrict the authority.

Abu Badawiya stresses that the dream of a Palestinian state has become more distant than ever, in light of the political deadlock and the absolute American support for Israel.

Abu Badawiya believes that the most that can be achieved in the next stage is a shackled Palestinian civil administration, without any political horizon towards establishing a Palestinian state.

Abu Badawiya believes that the coming years will be very difficult for the Palestinians, as they will face Israeli policies aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground, with the decline of Arab and international support for the Palestinian cause.

Abu Badawiya calls on the Palestinians to overcome the division and work to achieve true national unity to face the upcoming challenges, as preserving the national ranks and preventing internal fighting will be the most important achievement that can be achieved under the current circumstances.

Abu Badawiya stresses the importance of popular steadfastness to resist Israeli plans and work to strengthen the Palestinian position in the face of accelerating political and regional challenges.

Short-term relative calm, then escalation returns with American support

Writer and political analyst Samer Anabtawi believes that the year 2025 will be an extension of the repercussions and complexities of the year 2024, which witnessed raging regional and international unrest and conflicts.

Although he expects that the beginning of next year will witness a state of relative calm as a result of attempts to find temporary solutions to some of these crises, Anabtawi believes that this calm may be short-lived, as the escalation will quickly return, driven by increasing American support for the policies of the Israeli occupation.

Anbatawi points out that Israel may exploit the state of Arab and Islamic decline and international silence to impose new facts on the ground during the year 2025, including the annexation of large parts of the West Bank and the expansion of settlement activity. In the Gaza Strip, it is not unlikely that Israel will make attempts at voluntary or forced displacement of the residents of the Strip, as part of its plans to achieve its strategic goals.

Anbatawi stresses that these measures will lead to further escalation, which will complicate the Palestinian scene.

Despite the potential escalation, Anabtawi believes that the occupying state may face increasing pressures at both the internal and external levels. Internally, Israel is suffering from economic deterioration and social rifts, in addition to pressures related to the Israeli detainees in Gaza, which may push it to conduct limited prisoner exchange deals, which may be followed by a temporary calm. Externally, Israel may face pressure from international institutions and human rights courts due to its practices in the Palestinian territories.

Regarding the future of the Palestinian state, Anbatawi explains that this dream has become out of reach in light of the Israeli government’s rejection of any idea related to establishing a Palestinian state.

Anbatawi asserts that current Israeli policies may seek to impose a vision of Palestinian self-rule in some areas of the West Bank, as part of a plan aimed at Judaizing more lands and preventing any chance of establishing an independent state.

Anbatawi points out that this trend enjoys clear American support, which deepens the tragedy of the Palestinian people.

Despite what is happening, Anbatawi stresses that the Palestinian people have not been defeated and will not disappear, pointing out that there are regional and international changes that may support the Palestinian cause in the future.

Anbatawi believes that the current stage, despite its difficulty and cost, is a "narrow passage" that the Palestinian people are passing through on their way to achieving their rights.

Anbatawi stressed that the Palestinian people, despite the challenges and losses, will not raise the white flag, stressing that the Palestinians are continuing their struggle for their rights, and that the Palestinian cause will remain alive until the national goals are achieved, pointing out that the next stage may bring positive developments, even if they are far-reaching.