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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Israel\u2019s Gaza \u2018Nuclear Option\u2019 and Why It Is Losing The War \u2013 Analysis</h1>May 6, 2025</div>
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<img src="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Zamir_Netanyahu_PC.png" alt="" title="Zamir_Netanyahu_PC" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="394" height="264" style="margin-right: 25px;">
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Samir and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
<p><strong>By <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/robert-inlakesh" title="Display all articles for Robert Inlakesh">Robert Inlakesh</a></strong></p>
<blockquote>
<h3><span>What appears to be the actual strategy here is to coerce the
civilian population through starvation; as for any ground maneuvers, it
is difficult to see how their forces will prove successful against the
Palestinian resistance. </span></h3>
</blockquote>
<p><span>Threat after threat, plan after plan, yet the Israeli military
still fails to achieve victory on any front it fights on. None of its
publicly stated objectives have been achieved in Gaza, aside from the
mass murder of civilians and now, for the 19th consecutive month the
Israeli leadership floats new \u201ctotal victory\u201d plans that change by the
hour.</span></p>
<p><span>Since March, when Israel decided to collapse the Gaza ceasefire
agreement and impose an all out starvation policy on the civilian
population of the besieged territory, various threats regarding a
\u201csecond phase\u201d of the war have been made from senior Israeli officials. </span></p>
<p><span>One day, Israel and US President Donald Trump are discussing
American ownership of the territory, the next day Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to convince his population that Israel
needs to occupy Gaza. </span></p>
<p><span>In terms of \u201cplans\u201d, we have heard everything from so-called safe zones in northern Gaza to a new Rafah mass refugee camp.</span></p>
<p><span>In terms of Israeli soldiers who will participate in the
renewed large-scale assault on the civilian populated areas of the Gaza
Strip, we are informed that 100,000 reserves are needed, then we hear
20,000 have been recruited and that 60,000 have received orders to be
ready for deployment. But wait, of the 60,000, an unknown number will be
deployed along the Lebanon-Syria border area? </span></p>
<p><span>Threats of new magical bombs that will somehow defeat Hamas
arriving also periodically emerge, while Netanyahu saber rattles and
threatens to invade Lebanon, Syria and launch attacks on Iranian nuclear
sites. All the while, Israel\u2019s prime minister brags about all of his
victories thus far in the ongoing seven-front war.</span></p>
<p><span>Now Israel has apparently approved the next phase of fighting
in Gaza, which Hebrew media channels discuss day-in and day-out,
throthing at the mouths as they ponder what power their genocidal
military can summon next. Yet, none of them can actually produce any
proof of what is to come.</span></p>
<p><b>Israel\u2019s Strategic Defeat</b></p>
<p><span>In the fog of war, emotions run high on all sides. After the
mass murder of tens of thousands of children in Gaza, the utter
destruction of the territory\u2019s infrastructure, the murder of key leaders
within the Palestinian political movements and the pager attacks in
Lebanon, followed by the assassination of Hezbollah\u2019s senior leadership,
Israel managed to convince the world it was in control.</span></p>
<p><span>Yet, despite the propaganda that is telling the world about
Hamas and Hezbollah being defeated, neither of them are. Both are
degraded, but far from defeated. Meanwhile, Yemen\u2019s Ansarallah only
grows stronger and is now capable of striking Ben Gurion airport
directly.</span></p>
<p><span>Iran, Hezbollah, Ansarallah, the Palestinian factions and even
Iraq\u2019s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) have not been defeated, not
even close. Israel has been carrying out an all out war with full US, UK
and European support for 19 months and only has dead civilians and
assassinations to show for it.</span></p>
<p><span>But what about Syria? Well, Syria never became a front in the
war until the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the new government is not even
viewed as serious enough to engage with at this point from the Israeli
perspective. </span></p>
<p><span>Although Ahmed al-Shara\u2019a repeatedly indicates his willingness
to normalize ties with Israel, the agenda to expand Israeli territorial
control and balkanize Syria is more important than even entertaining
collaboration at this time.</span></p>
<p><span>Meanwhile, Israeli officials claim at this point that their
escalation in Gaza is akin to the \u201cnuclear option\u201d and that they will
only go ahead with it if there is no ceasefire/prisoner-exchange reached
within a two-week period; coinciding with the end of Donald Trump\u2019s
tour of the region. </span></p>
<p><span>From what we can currently gather, the so-called phase 2 plan
will involve the expulsion of Gaza\u2019s population into the south of the
strip. There has also been talk about using private companies to
distribute aid to Gaza\u2019s population when they have been driven into an
area near Rafah. There are also threats to destroy even more of the
territory\u2019s infrastructure.</span></p>
<p><span>Analyzing what we can from the leaks and statements of military
officials, it would seem like they are seeking to perform a mass ethnic
cleansing once again.</span></p>
<p><span> Yet, if the idea of private companies being used to distribute
humanitarian aid is any indication of what is to come, it is that the
Israeli military doesn\u2019t have the soldiers necessary, nor can it trust
them, to take over the distribution of aid.</span></p>
<p><span>What appears to be the actual strategy here is to coerce the
civilian population through starvation; as for any ground maneuvers, it
is difficult to see how their forces will prove successful against the
Palestinian resistance. </span></p>
<p><span>This is especially the case given the fact that over 100,000
reservists refused to answer their deployment calls, while soldiers
serving in Israel\u2019s Golani and Givati Brigades were deployed with only
four months training. Cases even emerged a few weeks ago of a lack of
meal supplies for Israeli soldiers in Gaza.</span></p>
<p><span>In addition to the lack of manpower and motivation, there is
also the crisis in tanks and armoured personnel carriers. While Israel
certainly has the power to summon a major offensive in Gaza, this could
detract from their defensive ground capabilities along the northern
front. </span></p>
<p><span>As it continues to aggress against Syria and Hezbollah in
Lebanon, any offensive from the north may overwhelm them in such a
scenario. There is also the issue of managing the West Bank, a drain on
their armed forces.</span></p>
<p><span>Furthermore, the domestic political situation is growing more
and more tense by the month. This, on top of the economic devastation
inflicted on the Israeli economy, is squeezing the state, while a
constant flow of US supplied munitions is needed in order to keep the
multi-front daily bombings going.</span></p>
<p><span>The whole world has unified in their shared disgust at the
Israeli regime\u2019s actions, international norms and law have been
shattered, while decision makers in Tel Aviv continue to expand their
wars across various fronts.</span></p>
<p><span>Another strong indicator of Israel\u2019s weakness are the extreme
measures that are being taken in Western nations by their supporters and
expatriates, who use their investments and lobby power to dismantle
constitutional and legal rights, axing free speech.</span></p>
<p><span>Although this may feel as if the Israelis hold a lot of power,
it is indicative of the fear that runs through the Zionist movement.
They have lost the debate and cannot win the argument, so they censor
and use force to put down dissent. </span></p>
<p><span>In addition to this, consider the blowback involved in Israel\u2019s
extreme criminality. Take Hezbollah for example, previously a very
restrained and shrewd political party, its pragmatism was somewhat
dependable. No more will this be the case in future conflicts. In Syria,
one wrong move could trigger action against Israel. </span></p>
<p><span>The Syrian conflict is completely unpredictable and the more
the Israelis intervene, the higher the chances that something goes out
of hand there.</span></p>
<p><span>As for the Palestinian people, the amount of trauma that has
been inflicted will never fade. The future brings nothing but resistance
and an unwavering desire to sacrifice for the sake of achieving
justice. </span></p>
<p><span>Everyone in Gaza has lost someone they love, everyone. Very few
will settle with the idea that they died in vain. The Palestinians have
no option but to continue their struggle and they will, no matter what
happens next.</span></p>
<p><span>If Israel really wants to take on Iran, this will only accelerate the process whereby they conclusively lose the ongoing war.</span></p>
<p><span>Take the names out of the equation for a moment. Imagine I told
you that the strongest military power amongst its neighbours, with the
full support of the worlds top superpower, fought for 19 months and
couldn\u2019t defeat a single armed militia group, including one they fully
besiege and whose people they are committing a genocide against. </span></p>
<p><span>Then that power claimed it was winning, despite losing
international support, facing countless legal challenges and tanking its
own economy, simultaneously plunging itself into domestic strife,
because it carried out some assassinations and an explosive pager
attack. Objectively, Israel has performed in a way that is beyond
pathetic.</span></p>
<p><em>(The Palestine Chronicle)</em></p>
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<p><br></p>
<p><span><em>\u2013 Robert Inlakesh is a journalist, writer, and documentary
filmmaker. He focuses on the Middle East, specializing in Palestine. He
contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle. </em></span></p></div>
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