Washington, DC., April 15, 2025 —
After a year and a half of intense bombardments, airstrikes, and violence, both Israel and Hamas agreed to a temporary ceasefire that began on 19 January 2025. The truce allowed a significant increase in humanitarian aid, with hundreds of trucks delivering essential supplies daily. This influx was meant to help avert widespread famine and reduce starvation levels among Gaza’s two million residents. However, even with the truce locked in, Israel continued the blockade of Gaza, which has resulted in severe economic and humanitarian suffering for civilians. Then, just days into the pause, repeated violations on both sides resulted in a failed ceasefire, and threats of annexation, and has deepened the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip live under constant threat of violence, trauma, displacement, and deprivation, that have defined this conflict for decades. The infrastructure has been severely damaged by eighteen months of bombardments, leaving hospitals, schools, and vital services inoperable. The destruction of homes, loss of life, and limited access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and medical care continue to fuel the humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations and other international bodies have condemned the violence, but their calls for accountability and long-term solutions have yet to lead to meaningful change. The end of the ceasefire has led to renewed restrictions on aid, heightening the risk of famine and disease outbreaks. The World Health Organization warns that the failed ceasefire could lead to a resurgence of infectious diseases, such as cholera, and malnutrition, further straining an already overwhelmed health system.
Security Implications
The resumption of hostilities has intensified military operations, with Israel completing the construction of the Morag security corridor, effectively isolating the southern city of Rafah. This strategic move aims to expand Israeli operations across Gaza, increasing pressure on Hamas. However, it also risks further destabilizing the region and prolonging the conflict.
The failed ceasefire sparked unprecedented protests within Gaza, with civilians expressing discontent over Hamas leadership and demanding the release of hostages. These demonstrations, occurring at great personal risk, reflect a significant shift in public sentiment and pose challenges to Hamas’s authority.
In Israel, the military’s decision to dismiss Air Force reservists who publicly condemned the war highlights internal divisions and debates over the conduct of the conflict. The reservists’ call for a ceasefire to facilitate hostage negotiations reflects broader societal concerns about the war’s human cost.
A Call for Diplomacy
The international community faces mounting pressure to address the escalating crisis and conflict that has no easy solutions. Calls for increased humanitarian aid, protection of civilians, and renewed efforts toward a sustainable peace are intensifying. However, achieving consensus on these issues remains challenging, given the complex political and security dynamics at play. Past efforts to mediate peace in Gaza have faltered, with little progress made toward a lasting solution. The UN, the European Union, and numerous world leaders have expressed their concern over the breakdown of the truce, and the continued suffering of civilians.
Regional powers, including Egypt and Qatar, continue to play a role in mediating between the parties, but the deep distrust between Israel and Hamas makes the prospects for lasting peace seem distant. Moreover, the shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East, including changing alliances and priorities, further complicate efforts to bring about a sustainable ceasefire or peace agreement.
Israel: Threat of Annexation
Historically, Israel has maintained a policy of controlling Gaza indirectly, particularly following the 2005 disengagement when Israel unilaterally withdrew its settlers and military from the territory. Since then, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has ruled Gaza, leading to repeated violent clashes with Israel. The region’s security situation has been defined by a cycle of military escalations, ceasefires, and border blockades, with little to no progress toward a political solution.
Recently, Israel reintroduced the threat of annexing the Gaza Strip. Floated by Israeli officials, the growing discussion around annexation represents a dangerous shift that could have severe consequences for both Israelis and Palestinians, further complicating the already fraught geopolitical landscape. Proponents frequently frame annexation as a solution to the security threat posed by Hamas, the desire to secure Israel’s borders, and for some, a reflection of an ideological commitment to the expansion of Israel’s territorial claims. It comes down to Israel’s desire to control the region, but it is not without significant political, humanitarian, and strategic concerns.
Critics argue that annexing Gaza would not eradicate Hamas, or the underlying issues fueling the conflict. Instead, it could exacerbate tensions, create a permanent state of occupation, and lead to violent resistance from both Palestinians in Gaza and those in the West Bank. Gaza’s militant factions would likely continue to fight, and the international community could condemn Israel for deepening its control over Palestinian territory.
Annexation would make any attempt at negotiating a peace agreement with the Palestinians even more complicated, as it would erase any remaining prospects for the creation of a viable Palestinian state, a two-state solution, and be seen as a final rejection of the idea of peace based on territorial compromise.
Trump’s Plan of Annexation
In a twist, alternatively, in early 2025, President Donald Trump unveiled his contentious proposal to annex the Gaza Strip, suggesting that the US should “take over” the region, displace its Palestinian inhabitants, and transform it into a luxury resort area, “the Riviera of the Middle East”. He suggested the current Palestinian residents, all two million of them, should be relocated to other countries, including Egypt and Jordan. To say that this plan has sparked widespread international condemnation and raised serious legal and humanitarian concerns, would be an understatement.
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the Palestinian Authority have all rejected the proposal. They view it as a violation of Palestinian rights and a threat to regional stability. Furthermore, Israel’s relationship with Egypt and Jordan, two key players in the region, could be jeopardized, as both countries have historically acted as mediators in Israeli-Palestinian discussions.
France, Germany, and the UK have condemned the plan, emphasizing that forced displacement of Palestinians would violate international law and undermine the rights of Palestinians to self-determination and efforts for a two-state solution. Numerous human rights organizations have warned that such a move would violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the annexation of occupied territories. Annexation could lead to further isolation of Israel and strengthen the growing global movement against the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The forcible displacement of Palestinians is not only morally bankrupt, but it could be considered a war crime, and if carried out systematically, a crime against humanity, and as the transfer of children is an atrocity, it could be considered genocide. Proving intent would not be difficult since Trump has laid out the plan himself in multiple occurrences, and it’s on video.
Legal Concerns
Gaza is already suffering from extreme poverty, unemployment, and collapsing infrastructure. Years of blockade and intermittent conflict have left much of the region’s infrastructure in ruins, with a lack of access to basic services like electricity, clean water, and healthcare.
There is little indication that Israel has a clear plan to improve conditions for Palestinians in Gaza. Annexation would not automatically bring the economic resources or political stability that Gaza needs. Instead, it could intensify an already dire humanitarian crisis, particularly if Israel does not alter its blockade policies or take measures to rebuild Gaza’s shattered infrastructure.
Furthermore, annexation would give the Israeli government direct control over Palestinians, who would likely not be granted full citizenship or equal rights. This would create a new and complex legal and political reality, where Gaza’s residents would be subject to Israeli law without having any say in the government that governs them. This would reinforce accusations of apartheid, drawing even more intense international scrutiny and condemnation.
Reality Check: Israel has been busy fighting Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, the West Bank and Gaza. Perhaps, rather than battling every Arab in the region, it should learn to get along with its neighbors and promote a semblance of peace.
Photo Credit: “A girl walks inside Gaza during the Gaza-Israel war to get food” by Jaber Jehad Badwan. Licensed under CC BY SA 4.0
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Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, an NGO nonprofit in Washington DC. She is the author of Assad’s Syria, and Stories from Yemen: A Diary from the Field, available in e-books, paperback, and hardcover at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and independent booksellers worldwide. Distributed by Ingram Publishing. Ms. Kajs frequently speaks about atrocity crimes, forced displacement, state terrorism, and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Follow and connect with Lara Kajs on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.