The political problems of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accumulated. More legal proceedings in his corruption trial, the public anger of his attempts to reject the head of the Domestic Intelligence Dotted and a push from the outside – and inside – of his government to end the ceasefire in Gaza.
And so on Tuesday, he returned to war. These problems seem less important for the moment. His appearance before the court was postponed, the demonstrations provided against his dismissal from the chief of the Shin Bet were overshadowed and the politicians who push the war were satisfied.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the consequences of Netanyahu’s decision was horrible with more than 400 Palestinians killed in a single night of bombing and the knowledge that this is probably only the beginning of more death and destruction.
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador and consul general in New York, told Tel Aviv Tribune that the night kicks by Netanyahu were purely “on survival policy” for the Prime Minister, intended to distract “from the dismissal of Shabak chief (Bet Shin)”.
The strikes had “no military service (and) no political end,” he added.
Netanyahu has been accused several times by her opponents of having constantly manipulated the War of Israel against Gaza for her own political ends. Former American president Joe Biden suggested so much in an interview in June, saying that there was “all the reasons” for people to draw the conclusion that Netanyahu prolonged war for political reasons.
War “buries” the captives
But continuing the war and putting an end unilaterally to the two-month ceasefire puts Netanyahu and his government in disagreement with an important constituency: families of Israeli captives held in Gaza.
This group, whose voices are still respected by many Israelis, have seen each of the climbing commanded by Netanyahu and its far -right government as at the expense of their relatives. There are 59 captives in Gaza – both alive and dead – which were to be released in the original terms of the ceasefire agreed with Hamas.
A statement published Tuesday by the Hostage and Disappeared Families forum echoed the feelings of many to suggest that Israeli leaders did not intend to honor the ceasefire. He added that the government had decided to “sacrifice” the captives and that the resumption of the attack “buried” them in Gaza.
“The hostage families demand a meeting this morning (Tuesday) with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the head of the negotiation team in which (civil servants) will clarify how they can guarantee that the hostages will not be affected by military pressure and how they plan to bring them home,” the group said.
“Why don’t you fight in the negotiation room?” The forum asked the government.
A former captive held in Gaza, Noa Argamani, reacted to the news that the Israeli attacks against Gaza had taken up with a symbol with a broken heart. Argamani was released after an Israeli military operation in June during which more than 270 Palestinians were killed. His boyfriend, Avinatan or, remains captive in Gaza.
Argamani was part of a group of former captives who met US President Donald Trump this month. It is not clear if the families of the captives and the liberated persons will be able to move it to Israel to return to the negotiation table.
Standing together, a progressive group made up of Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel, in Tel Aviv Tribune told “hundreds” of protesting calls against strikes and was ready to mobilize thousands of people to the suggestion of a large -scale renewal of fighting in Gaza.
“We refuse to participate in a war that neglects and will kill our hostages,” said Standing Codirector Alon Lee Green. “We refuse to kill and be killed in Gaza.
Far -right support
Since his beginning, the ceasefire has been criticized by many of those in Israel who now encourage its apparent collapse.
The extreme right, the former Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said as a result of the strikes he would return to the government after resigning in January to protest against the cease-fire conditions.
Another member of the cabinet, the Minister of Ultranationalist Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, whose resignation of January on the cease-fire agreement was only avoided after the apparent insurance of Netanyahu that he expected to break it, also celebrated the murders of Gaza.
Writing on social networks, Ben -Gvir described the attacks renewed against Gaza – the majority of the victims of which were children, women and the elderly – like the “good moral, ethical and the most justified”.
Smotrich thanked God for a return to the conflict, writing that the new wave of fighting “would be completely different” from the military campaign which has already killed more than 60,000 Palestinians. Israel “will have to remember with force, faith and determination until victory with the help of God,” said Smotrich.
American position
The United States expressed total support for Israel’s actions, even if the latter referred to an agreement of which Washington was one of the brokers.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed an extension of the first phase of the three-step ceasefire, but supported Israel to modify the terms of the agreement and recognized Israel’s “red line” against Hamas to keep his arms.
The United States also supported it while Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza and reduced electricity this month to the desalination plant alone in an attempt to force Hamas to accept the new terms of Israel-which ignored any conversation of a permanent ceasefire.
The United States, as well as other guarantors, had previously promised to ensure that Israel honors the terms of the ceasefire and would maintain negotiations on a second phase and a third possible phase which would end the war.
“Things are very different now,” said Mitchell Barak – an Israeli sounder and former political assistant from several Israeli political figures, including Netanyahu – told Tel Aviv Tribune, “we have a news (United States) who says:” Free the hostages now – or else “.” “”
“Islamic resistance (movement), Hamas, can no longer use the ceasefire, or even hostages, as a bargaining currency,” he said about negotiations on the second stage.
“They are alone.
“Trump was clear:” Complete the work “. The United States will support everything that Israel chooses to do to reach this end, “he said.
