The ceasefire in Gaza was nothing more than a temporary truce in the mind of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who overturned the table and reset the clock of death to its initial position, under pressure from religious Zionism and the hawks of the right. The agreement did not proceed to its second phase, revealing once again that Netanyahu and his extremist fascist government were not serious about ending the aggression; rather, they were maneuvering before a new round of bombing and destruction.

Hamas has shown all the necessary flexibility to ensure the implementation of the agreement, seeking to lift the blockade and alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza. However, as usual, the occupation has thwarted all efforts, confirming that for them, war is not a security battle but a political tool in Netanyahu's hands, used by his Nazi coalition for its own survival, even at the expense of innocent lives.

The ceasefire agreement signed between Hamas, along with resistance movements in Gaza, and the occupying state of Israel, under Egyptian, Qatari, and American sponsorship, which began on January 19, 2025, did not last long. The occupying state did not adhere to its phases, apart from its procrastination in implementing the first phase and its refusal to enter the second phase as stipulated in the agreement. It also did not comply with the guarantees of the mediators to negotiate on the second phase, which includes a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of the Israeli forces from Gaza, and reconstruction.

Read also: Why did the occupation resume the genocide in Gaza?

It seems that Netanyahu has his own calculations behind his refusal to adhere to the agreement, armed with unlimited American support for his policies, the weakness of mediators and their inability to compel him, and the fragile Arab position that gave Netanyahu the justification and strength to jump over the agreement in an attempt to push forward and protect himself from falling and to safeguard his coalition from collapsing. The decision came after the second phase of the ceasefire agreement was aborted under pressure from the extreme Zionist right, which reinforces doubts that the escalation was for internal political reasons aimed at maintaining government stability and preventing the collapse of the ruling Zionist coalition.

The return of the war on Gaza comes for specific reasons related to Netanyahu and his ongoing crises, which are:

The crisis of approving the budget and the law for the conscription of Haredim.

Diverting attention from judicial reforms and protests.

Escaping the Crisis of the Dismissal of the Head of the 'Shin Bet

Fleeing from the movements of the opposition

In a surprising escalation and simultaneously, the occupation’s aircraft carried out extensive bombardments across various areas of Gaza during the blessed days of Ramadan, at the times when innocent people are preparing for suhoor, only for the darkness to fade and the morning to reveal Zionist massacres against innocent Palestinians, including women, children, and men. The bloody Zionist attacks resulted in the martyrdom of more than 429 Palestinians in an instant, marking the largest assault since the ceasefire agreement. This escalation came after 16 days of border closures and a worsening humanitarian crisis threatening famine, while the occupation continued to procrastinate on implementing the second stage of the agreement.

The occupation resumes its aggression on Gaza... Continuous shelling and endless suffering!

The Reasons and Objectives

Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, have claimed that the attacks were a result of Hamas's refusal to release hostages and its threats to harm the army and cities, as well as its rejection of the mediation proposal presented by the U.S. presidential envoy, Steve Whitcomb. However, the undeniable truth behind the renewed war on Gaza is linked to personal reasons related to Netanyahu and his ongoing crises within the state and his governing coalition, which are:

• The crisis of approving the budget and the law for drafting the Haredim.

It is not as Netanyahu and Weitkov claim that "Hamas" rejected the new American proposal; rather, the goal of the violation of the ceasefire by the entity state and the resumption of the war, with American approval, was its unwillingness to fully implement the agreement and respond to Ben Gvir's demands to return to war to ensure his return to the government. This is what Netanyahu wants; it gives him a majority in the Knesset to pass the budget and support it without passing the Haredi conscription law. The Knesset must approve it before the end of March 2025 to avoid early elections. He hurried to resume fighting in Gaza 48 hours before the budget discussion to ensure Ben Gvir's return to the government coalition and guarantee his party's votes after failing to rely on the Haredi votes.

He also resorted to merging his former rival Gideon Sa'ar's party with Likud and appointed him as a minister without portfolio to stabilize his government until 2026, allowing Netanyahu to benefit from a majority of 68 members out of 120 in the Knesset.

• Diverting attention from judicial reforms and protests against the dismissal of the legal advisor:

The crisis has resurfaced with Netanyahu's intent to dismiss the legal advisor, amid a confrontation with the Chief Justice, as Netanyahu's government proposed extensive reforms aimed at reducing the independence of the Zionist judiciary and limiting the authority of the government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara. These reforms include restricting her role to that of a non-binding advisor and appointing legal advisors directly by ministers, a move opposed by the legal advisor because these amendments undermine her independence and weaken legal oversight of government actions, threatening the principle of the rule of law. The Minister of Justice had announced the suspension of judicial reforms at the beginning of the war, but they are now back on the agenda, including amending the judges' appointments committee and ousting the legal advisor, which increases tensions within the government.

• The escape from the crisis of the dismissal of the head of the "Shin Bet

Netanyahu is facing a real crisis over the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, or forcing him to resign, as he accuses him of failure during the events of October 7. Netanyahu trembles in fear of protests against his dismissal, and at the same time, he does not have the authority to dismiss him, as confirmed by the legal advisor who informed him that as long as the Shin Bet investigation against employees in the Prime Minister's office is ongoing, a government meeting to dismiss Bar cannot be held. Netanyahu must obtain a recommendation from the appointments committee for senior positions in order to dismiss the head of Shin Bet.

• Postponement of his trial and suspension of his testimony before the court:

Netanyahu has successfully postponed his testimony before the Central Court in Tel Aviv regarding corruption charges by returning to war, resuming the massacre in Gaza, and invoking the state of emergency. This is an attempt to escape forward and avoid charges that could lead to his ousting and potentially imprisoning his political future.

• Escaping from the movements of the opposition:

The opposition called for the government to be toppled through a joint agreement, and the opposition coordinator, Merav Ben Ari, announced the submission of thousands of reservations regarding the budget to prevent its passage. They also planned to organize major protests, coinciding with the government's intention to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet and the legal advisor. The opposition accused Netanyahu of reigniting the war for purely personal and political reasons, putting the lives of soldiers and captives at risk, using their lives as leverage to remain in power, and claiming that he is unfit and untrustworthy.

While Netanyahu trampled on the efforts of mediators and their guarantees, reneged on the agreement, and returned to killing, bombing, and destruction in Gaza, as airstrikes continue, and martyrs fall, and the siege tightens, the question remains: Where are the mediators who guaranteed the agreement? Were they just false witnesses in a deceptive play? Where is the international community to take responsibility or will blood once again write the testament of its moral downfall in the face of ongoing aggression?!

Read the article in Arabic