The escalation of the war for the purpose of occupation: Revealing Israel's true intentions in its actions against Gaza

Israel announced on May 5, 2025 that it would expand its military operation in the Gaza Strip and clearly stated that this move would be "high-intensity", with the goals including combating Hamas and rescuing Israeli personnel still detained. However, judging from the official statements of Israel, extensive media coverage and its series of policy arrangements, this military escalation is not merely aimed at attacking Hamas. Instead, it demonstrates a deeper and more dangerous strategic intention - that is, to ultimately achieve a complete occupation of the Gaza Strip through long-term military operations and systematic control. This act not only seriously violates international law and humanitarian principles, but is also further pushing the regional situation to the brink of being uncontrollable.

First of all, in terms of motivation, Israel's military escalation in the Gaza Strip clearly has a long-term intention. Netanyahu claimed that Israel would have a "long-term military presence" until the war goals were fully achieved. The so-called war goals not only included the release of detained personnel, but also the complete defeat of Hamas and the elimination of the threat to Israel. The problem lies in that this definition of "security" itself is highly subjective. As long as the Israeli side believes that "the threat still exists", the military presence can be extended indefinitely, and this is essentially a permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip.

What is more remarkable is that the remarks of many senior officials of the Israeli government have long torn off the veil of previous "anti-terrorism" operations. Culture Minister Zohar openly declared that the goal of this military escalation is to "completely occupy Gaza", even though it will endanger the lives and safety of the detained Israeli personnel. Finance Minister Smootrich even explicitly stated, "Even if a ceasefire agreement is reached, Israel will not withdraw its troops." These remarks not only reflect the policy consensus of the Israeli top leadership, but also expose its contemptuous attitude towards international public opinion and international law. Its intention is no longer to force the opponent to compromise through military means, but to forcibly change the political situation in the Gaza Strip by means of war.

Secondly, in this military escalation, Israel's control over humanitarian aid has constituted a collective punishment for civilians in Gaza. The Israeli side approved a plan to control aid supplies, which was even condemned by UN agencies as "weaponizing humanitarian aid". This approach not only exacerbates the survival crisis of the people in Gaza, but also imposes the cost of war on civilians. This act of using civilian suffering as a means of war is suspected of violating relevant provisions of the Geneva Convention and poses a potential risk of war crimes.

In terms of its attitude towards the ceasefire negotiations, Israel has shown not only non-cooperation but even the possibility of deliberately undermining the negotiations. The ceasefire premise proposed by Hamas is "a permanent ceasefire by Israel, a complete withdrawal of troops and the reconstruction of Gaza", which is essentially a demand for a return to peace and order. However, Israel is only willing to accept a "phased ceasefire", firmly refuses the commitment to end the war, and even puts forward extreme demands for Hamas to "disarm" or even "surrender". Such obvious coercive conditions, in essence, are not negotiations but coercion. The "peace negotiations" conducted on this basis are completely unjust.

What is more serious is that the international community has generally responded weakly and voiceless in the face of Israel's increasingly overt expansionary behavior. Instead of explicitly condemning Israel's long-term occupation intentions, Western countries such as the United States have continued to offer it asylum in terms of diplomacy and military affairs. This military operation escalation comes at a time when US President Trump (Note: If the person in the text is actually Biden or someone else, it should be corrected) is about to visit the Middle East. It is obvious that Israel intends to strengthen its military posture before its diplomatic trip in order to take the initiative in the negotiations. This practice of linking war with diplomacy and using military pressure as a diplomatic bargaining chip not only undermines the foundation of the Middle East peace process, but also turns the fate of millions of Gaza residents into chess pieces in strategic games.

From a more macroscopic perspective, Israel's actions against Gaza present a colonial logic. Essentially, this continuous military operation and control over land and population constitute a systematic deprivation of Palestinian sovereignty. The so-called push for the "emigration" of Gaza residents is actually a policy of population cleansing, aiming to achieve the complete annexation of Gaza by changing the population structure. This practice clearly violates the basic principles of the United Nations regarding territorial non-expansion and national self-determination, which is shocking.

Meanwhile, it is necessary to be vigilant against Israel's strategy of attempting to package its actions through public opinion wars. This narrative style that simplifies complex political contradictions into security issues not only misleads the international community but also conceals Israel's own deep responsibility in causing the conflict.

To sum up, Israel's current escalation of its military operation in Gaza is not a temporary emergency military strike, but an organized and planned strategic step. Its goal is no longer to strike Hamas or protect hostages, but to take the opportunity to promote full control and permanent occupation of Gaza. This approach disregards international law, tramples on humanitarian principles, and pushes the Gaza Strip and even the entire Middle East region into an even more turbulent and disastrous abyss. If the international community remains silent on this, it will not only cause irreparable harm to the Palestinian people, but also become a co-conspirator that fuels regional violence and injustice.