Opinion: The Illusion of Peace: Why the War in Gaza Is Only Entering a New Phase

The Illusion of Peace: Why the War in Gaza Is Only Entering a New Phase *

Ibrahim Majed

The announcement that Israel has agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza has been widely celebrated as a breakthrough after two years of relentless war and destruction. Beneath the surface, this agreement reflects neither peace nor stability, it is merely a tactical pause, designed to serve Israeli and American interests at a moment of strategic pressure. 

Phase One: A Deal of Necessity, Not Choice 

Israel’s acceptance of Phase 1 is not an act of goodwill. It is a calculated necessity. With domestic outrage rising and international isolation deepening, Tel Aviv knows it must retrieve its remaining captives to restore some sense of control. However, Israel’s own political and military officials have already made their intentions clear: “Let’s get the hostages and continue the war.” This statement exposes the true purpose of the current agreement, it is not an end to the war, but a repositioning for the next stage. Once the hostages are returned, Israel might seek to resume operations under the pretext of unfinished objectives, targeting Gaza’s remaining infrastructure and political leadership. 

Netanyahu’s Dilemma: Between War and Survival 

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, peace is political suicide. An end to the war would force him to confront his long-delayed corruption trials and face growing public anger over the failures of October 7 and the destruction that followed. The war has been his shield, holding together a fractured government under the illusion of national unity. Once the guns fall silent, that illusion collapses, and so does his coalition. Netanyahu’s survival, therefore, depends on prolonging instability, not ending it. 

Washington’s Hand: The Road to Regional Domination 

The United States, too, has no real interest in ending the cycle of war. Its ultimate objective in West Asia is not peace, but full-spectrum dominance, military, political, and economic. The Gaza deal, if successful, will be used as a model to pressure other states in the region, from Lebanon and Yemen to Iraq and Iran, into accepting similar phased arrangements that serve U.S. security and economic interests. But these nations have their own alliances and defense networks. Resistance groups across the region have already warned that any attempt to impose American conditions will be met with rejection. 

The Coming Expansion: A Regional War in the Making 

The illusion of an Israeli victory in Gaza will not bring calm, it will set the stage for a larger confrontation. The same intelligence, logistical, and diplomatic mechanisms now active in Gaza are already being redirected toward Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran. Washington seeks to consolidate its control over the entire arc of West Asia before turning its attention eastward, to China. America’s strategy is clear: dominate the resource corridors, energy routes, and maritime chokepoints of West Asia to prepare for its next great power confrontation. Control of this region ensures leverage over both Europe and Asia, economically against China, and militarily if confrontation becomes inevitable. 

A Pause Before the Storm 

The war in Gaza may appear to be ending, but the geopolitical currents beneath it are only intensifying. Israel’s temporary truce serves domestic politics; America’s mediation serves imperial strategy. For the peoples of the region, this peace is merely an intermission in a much larger conflict, one that is slowly spreading across the Middle East, drawing new battle lines in Washington’s race to dominate the world’s final strategic frontier.