Dr. Omar Rahal: Netanyahu is deliberately perpetuating the bloody war in the Gaza Strip as a strategic means of remaining in power and avoiding legal obligations.
 Major General Wasef Erekat: The trio of Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich seek absolute victory, the elimination of the resistance, and the displacement of Palestinians, making it difficult to reach solutions.
 Khalil Shaheen: A Palestinian delegation, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, must be formed under the umbrella of the PLO to manage negotiations on Gaza and stop the war.
 Muhammad Hawash: Rescuing this ordeal requires a unified Palestinian political movement, greater flexibility, and alignment with the Arab initiative to end the war.
 Majed Hadeeb: The Palestinian issue has reached a dangerous turning point due to Hamas's practices and the policies of the Israeli far right.

The Israeli war on the Gaza Strip continues amid escalating threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his government, and his war cabinet. This is seen as Netanyahu's attempt to prolong the aggression to ensure his political survival and escape the corruption trials and security failures linked to the events of October 7, 2023.
In separate interviews with Al-Quds, writers and political analysts believe this war is part of a comprehensive Israeli strategy aimed at eliminating Palestinian resistance and re-engineering the demographic and geographic reality in Gaza. This strategy involves imposing complete control and displacing the population under the guise of "voluntary migration," supported by policies of starvation and chaos, with the ultimate goal of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Writers and analysts emphasize that talk of deepening the occupation of Gaza highlights the reality that Gaza is effectively completely occupied. Israeli forces control the Strip through aerial and artillery bombardment, despite the presence of ground forces in only 25% of its territory, while systematically targeting civilians and destroying infrastructure.
In the face of this tragic reality, writers and analysts are calling for a unified Palestinian and Arab movement to halt the war of extermination. This can be achieved by forming a Palestinian negotiating delegation under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including all factions, to manage negotiations on halting the aggression and allowing aid into the country. This should be done in parallel with intensifying diplomatic and media efforts to expose the occupation's crimes, exploiting the Arab Peace Initiative and the resolutions of the Arab and Islamic summits to push for a two-state solution, and exploiting any potential disagreements between Netanyahu and the US administration to bolster international pressure to end the war and revive hope for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Prolonging the aggression until the next elections

Writer and political analyst Dr. Omar Rahal says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately maintaining the bloody war in the Gaza Strip as a strategic means of remaining in power and avoiding the legal and popular challenges that threaten his political future.
Rahhal explains that a ceasefire would put an end to Netanyahu's political career and open the door to his trial on charges of corruption and mismanagement, prompting him to prolong the aggression until the next Knesset elections.
Rahhal emphasizes that Netanyahu is not alone in this plan, but rather finds a key ally in the US administration. He enjoys the support of US President Donald Trump, who supports Israel in its aggression, citing his strong relationship with Netanyahu and his hostile stance toward the Palestinian cause.
Rahhal asserts that Netanyahu is specifically betting on Trump as a tool to reengineer and redraw the demographic and geographic map of the Palestinian territories and the region, in a way that serves the interests of Israel and the United States. Netanyahu seeks to impose a new reality in Gaza that does not involve occupying it in the traditional sense, but rather radically changing its political and social nature.

Starvation has become a strategic weapon.

In his review of the tools employed by Israel in the war, Rahal asserts that starvation has become a strategic weapon in the hands of the occupation, after traditional military tools failed to subdue the Palestinian resistance. Rahal explains that the occupation uses the policy of siege and starvation to create an internal rift within the Palestinian social structure by creating a state of chaos. The occupation also aims to break the popular support for the resistance.
Rahal points out that Gaza is, in practice, under complete occupation due to the ongoing blockade and aggression. He argues that Israel's repeated statements about "decisiveness" and "expanding military operations" are nothing more than political propaganda aimed at the Israeli public, aiming to portray Netanyahu as a strong leader determined to "win," even though the war has not yet achieved any of its declared objectives.
In the same vein, Rahal explains that Netanyahu is attempting to employ terms like "victory" as part of a domestic and international deception campaign aimed at buying time and justifying the continuation of the war, given the failure of his military strategy.
Rahhal believes that Netanyahu is exploiting the mounting number of Palestinian casualties to bolster his image as a leader who will not back down, even if the price is more Palestinian blood and suffering.

Urgent Palestinian and international action is required.

Rahal calls for sparing Gaza an uncertain fate through urgent Palestinian and international action to halt this aggression. He proposes launching an intensive diplomatic and political campaign led by the Palestinian Authority in partnership with universities, civil society organizations, unions, and Palestinian communities abroad to pressure for an end to the massacres.
Rahhal calls for the activation of Palestinian and international media to refocus attention on the Gaza tragedy and expose the occupation's crimes to global public opinion. He urges the launch of a broad popular movement in the West Bank and Arab countries, along with the formation of a unified Palestinian crisis cell comprising the Palestinian Authority, factions, and other components, to ensure coordinated positions and support Gaza's resilience in the face of the ongoing war of extermination.
Rahhal emphasizes the importance of humanizing Palestinian discourse and highlighting human suffering, considering this a key to gaining international support and exposing the crimes of the Israeli occupation to the world.


The Gaza Strip is occupied and completely under Israeli control.

For his part, military and security expert and retired Major General Wassef Erekat says that talk of expanding the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip serves Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political objectives, despite the fact that it will lead to further losses among Israeli prisoners and soldiers, as well as the perpetration of more massacres and genocide against Palestinian civilians.
Erekat asserts that the Gaza Strip is occupied and under complete Israeli military control, despite the deployment of ground forces in only 25% of its area. Warplanes, drones, artillery, and tanks control the Strip remotely, taking turns committing war crimes and massacres targeting civilians, most of whom are children, women, and the elderly.
Erekat points to Israel's use of internationally banned bombs, along with starvation policies, targeting the health sector, and destroying the necessities of life, all aimed at forcing Palestinians toward forced displacement masquerading as "voluntary."
Erekat reviews the details of the ground military operation that began on October 27, 2023. Israel deployed ten elite military divisions after an unprecedented three-week preliminary bombardment, using fire belts, prohibited shells, and a scorched-earth policy, destroying 75% of Gaza's infrastructure and wiping out entire residential neighborhoods.

unattainable goals

Although Israel has declared goals such as eliminating Palestinian resistance and forcibly liberating prisoners, Erekat asserts that Israeli military leaders themselves consider these goals unachievable.
Erekat points out that the operation witnessed two truces and a prisoner exchange, but the aggression resumed each time, with repeated Israeli statements claiming that a large percentage of the resistance's capabilities had been eliminated. On the 575th day of the aggression, the Chief of Staff announced the expansion of the operation to recover the prisoners, while Netanyahu spoke of achieving "absolute victory," in clear contradiction to the statements of opposition leaders such as Yair Lapid and General Ziv, who warned that military expansion would lead to the deaths of more prisoners and soldiers to no avail, and would only serve Netanyahu's political interests.
Erekat believes that the success of Israel's military expansion depends on the response of reserve soldiers, but some groups have declared their refusal to enlist, and the call for 19,000 Haredim to serve has met with limited response.

Throwing in more teams will escalate the massacres.

Erekat points out that Israeli military reports confirm the need to rehabilitate its forces after the prolonged fighting, while deploying more divisions will lead to an escalation of the massacres, increased casualties, and increased popular pressure on Netanyahu, with the number of those refusing to serve increasing.
Regarding solutions, Erekat believes that the trio of Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich seeks absolute victory, the elimination of resistance, and the displacement of Palestinians, making it difficult to reach solutions without a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.
Erekat asserts that US President Donald Trump is capable of pressuring Israel, especially with his upcoming visit to the Gulf states, where Arab states can exploit his interests to influence him.
Erekat points to Israeli President Herzog's offer to Netanyahu of a plea bargain to avoid prison in exchange for ending his political career, which could constitute an additional pressure factor.
Erekat stresses the need to unify the Palestinian position to end the suffering and halt the genocide, calling for concessions for the sake of the people and supporting the Arab initiative to achieve these goals.


Part of a comprehensive plan aimed at reoccupying the Gaza Strip

In turn, writer and political analyst Khalil Shaheen says that the Israeli cabinet's decision to approve a gradual operational plan in the Gaza Strip is essentially part of a comprehensive plan aimed at reoccupying the entire Strip and displacing its population.
Shaheen explains that this rolling plan reveals previously hidden goals that are now publicly stated, centering on a war of genocide, the annexation of Gaza, and the imposition of complete control over it with the expulsion of the population, rather than mere military rule.
Shaheen points out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in achieving the highest degree of harmony between the military and security establishments and the political echelon over the past period. This has been achieved through fundamental changes, such as the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the Chief of Staff, and the appointment of Eyal Zamir, who adopts a more aggressive approach. He also notes attempts to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet security service and expected changes in other military and security positions.
Shaheen asserts that these moves enabled Netanyahu to reframe the war's objectives in accordance with his basic vision: occupying Gaza and expelling its residents, or at least most of them, to the satisfaction of his extremist allies such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

The axes of the rolling Israeli plan

Shaheen reviews the axes of the rolling Israeli plan, which includes: gradually expanding the direct occupation of Gaza, by "nibbling away" one area after another, similar to what happened in Rafah, while destroying the facilities and foundations of life in these areas.
According to Shaheen, the plan also includes continuing to use starvation and chaos as weapons, by controlling the volume of food aid entering Gaza, even with the involvement of international organizations or private security companies, to maintain food supplies at levels that prevent mass deaths without improving the situation.
Shaheen points out that the limited aid plan of 60 trucks per day, approved by the cabinet at the suggestion of the Israeli Chief of Staff, embodies this approach.
According to Shaheen, the plan includes the internal displacement of residents from northern and central Gaza toward the south, particularly Rafah and its northwest, as Israel is promoting that aid will only reach these areas.
The final component of the plan is the transition to external displacement through what Israel calls "voluntary migration." This is, in fact, forced displacement imposed by the destruction of the basic necessities of life, making remaining in Gaza impossible and forcing residents to choose between leaving or dying with their families.

Israel encourages chaos by supporting gangs of robbers and thugs.

Shaheen asserts that Israel is encouraging chaos by supporting gangs of robbers and thugs in Gaza, with the goal of weakening Hamas's ability to manage civil and security affairs, creating a hostile environment that supports the goal of displacement.
Shaheen points out that these gangs, whose members carry expensive weapons, seek not only to steal food, but also to create chaos that will contribute to achieving Israeli goals.
Shaheen explains that the gradual implementation of the plan serves several purposes. It allows Netanyahu to satisfy his extremist allies while maintaining the cohesion of the government coalition; it spares the military establishment the responsibility of additional prisoner losses due to military pressure; it allows Israel to claim that it is giving negotiations a chance while continuing military pressure to force Hamas to make concessions; and it enables Netanyahu to maneuver with the administration of US President Donald Trump, especially with his upcoming visit to the Arab region, where Netanyahu seeks to ease international pressure by showing partial flexibility before escalating operations after the visit.
Regarding the Palestinian position, Shaheen stresses the need to prioritize halting the genocide in Gaza through urgent international action in cooperation with the United Nations and countries that reject the policy of starvation, and through pressure through the General Assembly and the International Criminal Court to hold Israel accountable for mass killing and starvation.

The Palestinian Authority is required to assume its responsibilities.

Shaheen calls for the formation of a unified Palestinian delegation under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to manage negotiations on a ceasefire, aid deliveries, and reconstruction, with the participation of all factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, similar to the 2014 experience led by Azzam al-Ahmad.
Shaheen stresses that this requires the Palestinian Authority to assume its responsibilities and prevent Hamas from monopolizing the negotiations.
Shaheen recommends confronting the chaos in Gaza by supporting the efforts of the Palestinian police and forming joint protection committees comprising factions, clans, and civil society to combat gangs of thieves and thugs.
Shaheen calls for a unified Palestinian vision for governing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the formation of a national consensus government or an administrative committee linked to the Palestinian Authority, all of which should be linked to a political horizon aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.

Netanyahu clings to the slogan of "absolute victory" to prolong the war.

For his part, writer and political analyst Muhammad Hawash says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to cling to the terms "absolute victory" and "final victory" to prolong the war in the Gaza Strip, with the goal of swaying Israeli public opinion in his favor and evading prosecution in corruption and national security cases related to the failures of October 7, 2023.
Hawash points out that Netanyahu, who is accused of being primarily responsible for the containment policy that led to these failures, is using war as a tool for political survival, while his military plans lack clear objectives.
Hawash explains that the seven-hour Israeli cabinet meeting offered nothing new except confirmation that humanitarian aid would be used as a pressure card against the Palestinians, and Hamas in particular, along with threats to expand the occupation of Gaza to force the movement to surrender, hand over weapons, and release prisoners without compensation.
Hawash considers these threats illogical and impractical, pointing out that Israel has failed to achieve these goals through the current war and will not succeed through additional military operations. He quoted Israeli military officials as confirming that there are no real military objectives remaining in Gaza that would justify calling up reserves or launching a large-scale ground operation, making the political goals of Netanyahu and his far-right government disconnected from the military reality.

Demographic reengineering in the sector

Hawash asserts that Netanyahu is seeking, by prolonging the war, to sway Israeli public opinion in his favor and appoint loyal judges who will facilitate his evasion of trial.
Hawash points out that opinion polls since the start of the war have shown that it is impossible for Netanyahu to form a new government, even with his popularity rising at times.
Meanwhile, Hawash explains that Israel's fundamental goal, which enjoys broad consensus among right-wing parties inside and outside the government, is to eliminate Hamas, eliminate the Palestinian population in Gaza through displacement, and re-engineer the region's demographics.
Hawash points out that the right wing outside the Israeli government prefers a temporary ceasefire to release the prisoners, then resume fighting from a stronger position, without fear of Israeli casualties.
Hawash explains that the current Israeli government, like its right-wing predecessors, does not recognize the national rights of the Palestinian people and seeks to eliminate any Palestinian resistance, prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, and destroy opportunities for life in Gaza.
Hawash asserts that the strategic goal extends beyond Gaza to the West Bank, where land confiscation continues in an effort to annex it without its Palestinian residents, as part of a broader effort to deepen the occupation and control.
Hawash believes that the continuation of the war also serves Netanyahu and his government's political survival. However, Israel emphasizes that Netanyahu's opportunistic goals must not overshadow the broader Israeli goal of deepening the occupation, controlling the Palestinian people, and preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Exploiting potential differences between Netanyahu and Trump

Regarding solutions, Hawash emphasizes that resolving this ordeal requires a unified Palestinian political movement. All factions, whether in the government, the opposition, or the PLO, must adopt greater flexibility and align with the Arab Initiative to end the war and move toward a two-state solution.
Hawash points out that unprecedented American support for the extremist Israeli government makes ready-made solutions difficult.
Hawash suggests exploiting potential disagreements between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, especially with Trump's upcoming visit to the region. He notes that Trump's regional priorities may go beyond supporting Israel, opening a window to capitalize on the official Arab position supporting an end to the war and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Hawash calls for strengthening harmony with the resolutions of the Arab and Islamic summits, which affirmed the need to end the occupation and establish a Palestinian state. He emphasizes that Palestinian flexibility will spare the people of Gaza the scourge of war and return the Palestinian cause to its political path.
Hawash believes that continued pressure on Hamas and the Palestinian people through war and aid aims to evade Israel's responsibility for the war of extermination, which requires a unified political solution to confront these challenges.


Hamas's insistence on remaining serves Netanyahu's agenda.

Writer and political analyst Majed Hadeeb says that Hamas's stance is the decisive factor in the escalation of threats against the Gaza Strip by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the extreme right. He emphasizes that the movement's insistence on remaining in the political arena and its refusal to relinquish control of the Strip serves Netanyahu's agenda and prolongs the war.
Hadib calls on Hamas to withdraw from the political scene and hand over control to the Palestinian Authority to save the Palestinian people from the scourge of hunger and killing.
Hadib explains that Netanyahu is exploiting Hamas's insistence on controlling Gaza to escalate his threats, with the goal of appeasing the Israeli public and strengthening his position within his government, which seeks to eliminate the movement once and for all.
Hadib points out that the terms of a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel are achievable based on the circulating proposals, but Hamas's insistence on remaining a major player in the political arena is hindering the achievement of an agreement.


Hamas' release of prisoners could end the war

Hadib asserts that Hamas's decisive stance, including releasing prisoners and relinquishing control of the Gaza Strip, could end the war, force Israel to withdraw, and preserve what remains of the dignity of the Palestinian people in the Strip, who are suffering from misery, hunger, and the loss of human life as a result of the land, sea, and air bombardment.
Hadeeb believes that Hamas's continued rejection of proposals that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians gives Netanyahu and the extreme right a pretext to adopt more hardline positions, which increases their threats and distances the world from viewing the Palestinian issue from a political and legal perspective.
Hadib points out that the international community's focus solely on the humanitarian aspect, rather than the political, is sapping the momentum of the issue. He warns that Hamas's insistence on control will lead to the demise of proposed solutions and push the Palestinian people further into confusion and loss.
Hadib expresses his regret that the Palestinian issue has reached a dangerous turning point due to the practices of Hamas and the policies of the Israeli far right, which combine all-out war and siege.
Hadib calls on Hamas to completely withdraw from the political scene in Gaza and hand over its responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which has legal jurisdiction over the Strip.
Hadib asserts that this move will restore legal and political ties between Gaza and the West Bank and constitute a prelude to pressuring Israel and the US administration to seek political solutions, especially with the approaching international conference called for by Saudi Arabia to discuss the Palestinian issue and call for recognition of the State of Palestine.

Hamas faces a fateful choice

Hadeeb rejects claims that Hamas's handover of prisoners will encourage Netanyahu to continue the war, arguing that such claims serve the interests of the extreme right and prolong the conflict to Netanyahu's continued rule.
Hadeeb points out that Hamas's recent decisions, such as reviving the "Executive Force" and threatening the population under the pretext of "maintaining security," reflect its insistence on control, which increases the suffering of Palestinians and exposes them to further punishment and death.
Hadeeb believes that Hamas faces a fateful choice: either withdraw from governing Gaza to restore life to the Palestinian people, or insist on maintaining control, which will lead to escalating suffering and destruction as a result of Netanyahu and his government's insistence on eliminating the movement.
Hadib calls for urgent action to restore political momentum to the Palestinian cause, leveraging international statements supporting recognition of the State of Palestine to ensure a political solution that ends the war and restores hope to the Palestinian people.