Tehran – Almost two years after the war with Gaza, Israel is facing internal sector growth and international isolation as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration struggles to achieve its goals.
Despite the unrelenting military operations since October 2023, Israeli forces have failed to eliminate Hamas or secure the release of the remaining prisoners of war held in Gaza.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu plans to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, claiming that it is the only way to defeat Hamas and bring prisoners home. However, this strategy is already offered at a huge cost.
Over the course of 22 months, Israeli military attacks have killed more than 61,000 Palestinians (including up to 19,000 children) and wounded more than 150,000 people. Israel was also nearly surrounded by Gaza, leading to a massive starvation that crossed the enclave. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, roughly 190 people, almost half of their children, died of hunger and malnutrition. Additionally, Israeli forces reportedly shot and killed more than 1,300 Palestinians who had sought humanitarian aid.
The international community is increasingly condemning Israel’s hunger policy. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Michael Fakri, the UN Special Rapporteur on Food Rights, said, “Israel has built the most efficient hunger machine you can imagine… Israel is starving Gaza. It’s a genocide. It’s a crime against humanity. It’s a war crime.” Fakri was the first to warn Israel in February 2024 that it was coordinating a campaign of intentional, massive hunger starvation.
Last week, two prominent human rights groups in Israel, Vitrem for Israeli Human Rights and Doctors, accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
As global rage intensifies, some of Israel’s most loyal Western allies are changing their stance. Some governments signal plans to recognize the Palestinian state. Mobes is widely interpreted as an effort to obscure their own accomplices in making Israel’s war possible. In the United States, more and more Democrats are advocating for the Palestinian state as part of an attractive attack aimed at disillusioned voters.
A recent CNN report shows that Democrat leaders are increasingly distanced from Netanyahu and fear that unwavering support for him will alienate voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential elections. “Fearing Zionism can lead to death among Democrats,” the report said. “Many party leaders are trying to explicitly break through with Netanyahu and stop Israel’s anti-Israel attitude from becoming a litmus test for the mid-term and 2028 presidential primary.”
In the country, Netanyahu is under pressure. Nearly 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former Mossad Tamil Pardo, former Singh Bett Head Ami Ayalon and former vice-president Matan Virnai, signed a letter to President Donald Trump, urging Israel to step in and end the war through Press Israel. Signatories argue that continuing the war is seriously hurting Israel’s global credibility. Israeli Army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also reportedly supported putting an end to the Gaza conflict.
Meanwhile, protests within Israel have become regular events as Netanyahu’s regime express their dissatisfaction with the failure of securing the release of prisoners of war and ending the war.
Despite this widespread criticism, Netanyahu remains rebellious. But even Israeli allies acknowledge that the military campaign failed to achieve its goals. Western governments, particularly the United States, seem increasingly keen to end the war, but will not make Netanyahu a scapegoat first. This strategy is designed to distract attention from your role in enabling Gaza genocide.