Israel's new goal of reoccupying Gaza will worsen the humanitarian crisis in the Strip and invite further Houthi attacks on Israeli territory. To justify its open-ended military campaign, the Israeli government will also have to erode Gaza's existence as a Palestinian geopolitical entity, which could undermine its re-election prospects in 2026. On May 4, Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to expand its military offensive against Hamas, including by calling up thousands of reservists, pursuing the full-scale conquest of the Gaza Strip (including previously untouched camps in northern Gaza), and evacuating the Gazan population back into the south. The plan was unveiled ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to the Middle East from May 13-16, with the Israeli government warning that if Hamas did not release the remaining hostages before Trump's trip, Israel would launch the new offensive. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also suggested that this offensive,...
