Netanyahu could provoke annexations in Gaza if Hamas does not accept an agreement

The war in Gaza continues with clashes between Israel and Hamas, and no ceasefire has been reached despite indirect negotiations in Qatar, mediated by Qatar itself, Egypt and the United States. 

The latest proposal agreed by the United States and Israel, with a 60-day deadline to reach a truce, has not been approved by the extremist Palestinian group Hamas, and the war continues.

Faced with this deadlock, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to annex parts of Gaza if Hamas does not agree to a ceasefire, according to Haaretz. 

According to the Israeli media, Benjamin Netanyahu could present a plan to the Israeli security cabinet to annex parts of the Gaza Strip. These areas would be located in the border area with the Strip. According to some speculation, this could lead to the total annexation of the Gaza Strip in the future. 

Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly told Israeli ministers that Israel will give Hamas a few days to accept a ceasefire. If this is not accepted, Israel will begin to gradually annex parts of the Strip in stages until Hamas surrenders. 

Indeed, the Israeli prime minister has stated many times that Israel's main objective is the total annihilation of Hamas after the terrible attacks of 7 October 2023 carried out by the Palestinian extremist group, which left around 1,200 people dead and some 250 kidnapped on Israeli territory. These attacks triggered the outbreak of the current war in Gaza, which continues with the harsh intervention of the Israeli army on Gazan soil, leaving tens of thousands of victims and terrible consequences for the Palestinians in the area, including the lack of minimum conditions for a dignified life and even a lack of food resources.

Indeed, the suffocation that Israel has been imposing on the Gaza Strip has been harshly criticised by various sectors in view of the famine that is occurring in the area due to the lack of humanitarian aid routes in the face of Israeli intervention. This famine has been denied by Netanyahu himself, but it has been confirmed by other parties, including the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who contradicted the Israeli Prime Minister by stating that there is indeed a famine in the Gaza Strip. 

In an official statement from the Israeli prime minister's office, it was indicated that Israel will continue to work with international agencies, as well as with the United States and European nations, to ensure the delivery of large quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, thus denying accusations of promoting famine and difficult living conditions in Gaza and accusing Hamas of inventing this scenario and taking advantage of the situation by generating victimhood. ‘Although the situation in Gaza is difficult and Israel is working to ensure delivery, Hamas is benefiting from attempts to fuel the perception of a humanitarian crisis,’ the Israeli prime minister's office said in an official statement.

According to various analysts, Benjamin Netanyahu's radical stance against Hamas has to do with his intention to continue receiving support from the most extreme right-wing faction of his government, a Zionist wing that seeks the total destruction of Hamas without any ceasefire and pressure on the Gaza Strip, preventing any kind of humanitarian aid from reaching the area. This support is considered vital for Netanyahu himself in order to maintain his government and avoid being forced out of power. 

On the other hand, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority indicated that the Israeli army will present the government cabinet with a new plan to block and expand operations in other areas of the Gaza Strip. According to sources close to the matter, the army has not yet been asked to present a plan to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, and it is doubtful that this will happen, as reported by various media outlets such as Al Ain News, contradicting other reports that speak of annexing areas of the Gaza Strip or even the entire territory. 

The situation remains difficult, with ceasefire negotiations deadlocked, the Israeli army still stationed in the Gaza Strip for almost two years and suffering losses, and the Gazan population enduring the harsh rigours of war while Hamas continues to hold its ground and appears to have no intention of backing down from its demands.