ASSESSMENTS

The Risks of Israel's Open-Ended Policies in Gaza and Lebanon

Oct 16, 2024 | 21:27 GMT

A general view shows a session at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on March 20, 2023.
A general view shows a session at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on March 20, 2023.

(GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Political constraints will make it difficult for Israel's government to articulate formal post-war plans for Gaza and Lebanon, which will increase the likelihood of Israel relying on open-ended military pressure on Hamas and Hezbollah; the lack of a defined policy will also enable far-right Israeli groups to resettle in Gaza and normalize expansion into Lebanon, creating friction with Israel's key international partners. In the absence of a formal post-war plan for Gaza, a group of former Israeli generals and high-ranking officials has for months pushed the ''Generals' Plan,'' which aims to end the war in the strip on Israel's terms. This plan calls for a ''total siege'' in northern Gaza, the departure of all civilians from the area, the treatment of all remaining persons in these closed military zones as enemy combatants, and the cessation of all aid. The plan also includes a post-war component that would leave the northern...

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