Why Netanyahu’s ‘coup’ against Gaza plan risks endless war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a United States-led roadmap for Gaza has raised urgent questions about the fragile peace process and the prolonging of suffering for more than two million Palestinians in the territory.

The US-brokered 15-point plan mandates that Hamas would disarm in exchange for a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the transition of governance to a technocratic Palestinian committee backed by an international security force.

Since US President Donald Trump announced his peace plan for Gaza last year, Israel has continued near-daily deadly attacks in violation of a “ceasefire” deal. Rather than deploying its forces, it now maintains military control of more than 70 percent of the Strip. And on Sunday, just weeks before Israel’s crucial elections, Netanyahu effectively paralysed the diplomatic process by insisting that Israeli troops will not withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed”.

In Gaza, Netanyahu’s declaration sent shockwaves, extinguishing recent optimism and raising the prospect of intense attacks.

“There is a form of fear, unfortunately, because the matter is linked to Netanyahu possibly undertaking steps to return to assassination operations, bombing operations and targeting operations near the yellow areas,” said Gaza-based political analyst Eyad al-Qarra, referring to the unilaterally imposed “Yellow Line”, the effective Israeli buffer zone squeezing Palestinians into smaller areas.

The Gaza Government Media Office echoed the grim outlook, viewing the rejection as a deliberate tactic to continue the war.

“These positions represent a clear and explicit coup against the negotiation path and its outcomes, deliberately obstruct the path to calm, and greatly reinforce the state of humanitarian deterioration,” it said in a statement.

The office added that Netanyahu’s statement proves Israel “takes the negotiation path as a false political cover to buy time, pass its destructive projects, and continue the war of genocide against defenceless civilians.”