Ceasefire Betrayal: The Political Calculations Behind Netanyahu’s Actions

 After almost 2 months of fragile peace in Gaza, Israeli forces ended the ceasefire unilaterally, instigating instability in the region.

Taut Bataut

The Zionist state is incurring significant violence on the innocent civilians of Gaza. Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ended the ceasefire to perpetuate his political ceasefire.

More than 670 innocent civilians, including women and children, have been killed by the Israeli Defense Forces, injuring hundreds of Palestinians. Peaceful and innocent civilians of Gaza are paying for a war that is unable to bring back the Israeli hostages but is only serving the political ambitions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli citizens must realize that Netanyahu is the actual culprit behind this war

In the early hours of 18th March, Israeli forces began bombing Gaza. In this region, millions of Palestinian civilians have already been suffering and fasting under inhumane conditions like severe shortages of food and water. However, the Israeli populace holds a divided opinion on this violation of the ceasefire. While some support, this decision of the Netanyahu administration, fallaciously perceiving that this war will bring back the hostages of the Israeli hostages, others hold that this Israeli violation of the ceasefire would instigate more chaos and violence in the country and region.

The Human Cost

Historical events demonstrate that the Netanyahu administration has never been concerned about the lives of the hostages. The Zionist government in Israel unilaterally violated the ceasefire deal by refusing to proceed to the next phase of the agreement, endangering the lives of all the remaining Israeli hostages. Hamas repeatedly offered to release the remaining hostages in return for a peace deal. However, the Zionist Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected all such offers, showing his unwillingness and ingenuity to bring back the hostages safely. Netanyahu seeks to prolong the war and perpetuate his political career. Therefore, it would be pertinent to hold that he is using this war as a political tool, by wrongly portraying it as an attempt to ensure security and peace in the region.

The fact that the Netanyahu government attacked the Gaza Strip just before the voting on a significant budget also corroborates the narrative that this violation of the ceasefire is merely to achieve political goals. The ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have threatened to overthrow the government if legislation about their community is not passed. The former National Security Minister Ben-Gvir also warned the government about this legislation. Moreover, a massive demonstration was also planned to take place on 19^th March, a day after the Israeli bombardment in Gaza, demanding an inquiry into the events of October 7, 2023. This demonstration could have exposed the internal political dissent in Israel.

These facts illustrate that Netanyahu is using this war to perpetuate his rule and mold public opinion in his favor. By using such tactics, he seeks to eliminate any military, and political criticism. Moreover, this war helps him to evade public scrutiny. The Zionist Prime Minister has killed more than 50000 people and has committed numerous war crimes, including demolishing civilian infrastructure like houses, refugee camps, hospitals, mosques, and churches – since the start of the war on October 7, 2023.

The Global Impact of Netanyahu’s Actions

Netanyahu has already taken drastic measures to perpetuate his rule. He fired Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet – an Israeli Security agency, due to his investigations over bribery accusations in the Prime Minister’s office. He also dismantled the judicial system for criminal trials. Moreover, he abandoned the hostages to prolong his tenure as the Prime Minister of the country. Thousands of Palestinians have paid for his political ambitions with their lives.

Unfortunately, a significant strength of the Israeli people supports this recent violation of the ceasefire agreement, showing an indifference towards the lives of Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians. The Western media is also an accomplice in these war crimes of the Zionist military and government. They are engineering public opinion in Netanyahu’s favor through their propaganda campaigns. Those seeking revenge from Hamas must realize that this genocidal war of the Israeli military could endanger the lives of the Israeli hostages and hold the potential to increase the public support of the Palestinian cause and Hamas, which happened before signing the ceasefire on 19^th January.

Israeli citizens must realize that Netanyahu is the actual culprit behind this war. He has abandoned the Israeli hostages multiple times by sabotaging the peace agreement and all other diplomatic initiatives. They must acknowledge that his ambition of a greater Israel is the fundamental factor behind the rising security threat to civilian lives in Israel. Moreover, International Institutions must play their role and designated duties to ensure peace in the Middle East. Otherwise, these war crimes and occupations of the Zionist state could spark a broader regional or global war. Israel’s allies also need to understand that the power-hungry Netanyahu is a threat not just to Palestinians, but also to global peace and stability.

Taut Bataut – is a researcher and writer that publishes on South Asian geopolitics