‘Military Pause’ on Gaza Highway Inflames Divisions within Israeli Government The Israeli government has been thrown into turmoil following the military’s announcement of a “pause” in its Gaza Strip highway construction project. The move, which came after intense pressure from international rights groups and Palestinian officials, has ignited a heated debate within the Israeli cabinet and exposed deep divisions over the country’s settlement policy. Supporters of the Pause Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his Yamina party have defended the pause, arguing that it is necessary to ease tensions with Egypt and reduce the risk of escalation with Palestinian militant groups. They also contend that the highway is not essential for Israel’s security and that it would harm the local Palestinian population. Opponents of the Pause However, members of the right-wing Likud and Religious Zionism parties have strongly condemned the move, calling it a “capitulation to terrorism.” They argue that the highway is crucial for Israeli security and that the government should not give in to international pressure. They have also accused Bennett of betraying his electoral promises to support settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. International Criticism The military’s pause comes amid mounting international criticism of Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied territories. Human rights groups have condemned the highway project as a violation of international law and a threat to the Palestinian population. The United States and European Union have also expressed concern over the settlements, which they believe undermine the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Political Fallout The divisions within the government over the pause have raised concerns about the stability of Bennett’s coalition government. Some members of Likud have threatened to withdraw their support from the government if the pause is not lifted. Meanwhile, Bennett’s allies in Yamina have said they will not support any reversal of the decision. Conclusion The pause in the Gaza Strip highway construction project has exposed deep divisions within the Israeli government over the country’s settlement policy. While Prime Minister Bennett has defended the move as necessary to ease tensions, right-wing members of the government have condemned it as a betrayal of Israel’s security interests. The political fallout from the decision remains uncertain, but it has raised questions about the future of Bennett’s coalition government.

When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire? According to the Israeli army, this is a “local tactical pause in military activity for humanitarian purposes.”

When is a ceasefire not a ceasefire? According to the Israeli army, this is a “local tactical pause in military activity for humanitarian purposes.”

Israel’s humanitarian aid coordinator for Gaza outlined details of the scheduled daily pause in fighting between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. local time, along a key route running north from the border point of Kerem Shalom, where aid is waiting to be delivered.

The announcement almost immediately triggered a furious political attack from far-right government ministers and a swift defense from the Israeli military, insisting that it did not signal the end of fighting in southern Gaza or any change in entry of humanitarian aid.

The fact that this announcement turned out to be so explosive highlights the increasingly tense situation for Israel’s prime minister, caught between the costs of his vague and so far unattainable military goals of dismantling Hamas and bringing the hostages home.+and the political allies on whom he depends to stay.++In power.

The agencies will still need to coordinate their movements with the Israeli military, and the director of the World Food Program in Gaza, Matt Hollingworth, said the test would be whether that coordination becomes smoother and faster as a result.

But he also said coordination was only part of the obstacles agencies faced in delivering aid inside Gaza.

Sunday’s announcement “does not solve the problem of insecurity and crime,” he said.++“And this is the most dangerous area in the Gaza Strip right now for the transfer of aid.”

Aid agencies reported over the weekend that the ongoing war was fueling acute malnutrition in parts of Gaza.

Israel is under pressure–from NGOs, allies and its own High Court–to bring more aid to Gaza.

But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces stiff opposition from two far-right colleagues in his cabinet, who say they will overthrow his government if he agrees to end the war, and who believe the aid deliveries delay Israel’s victory.

They reacted furiously to today’s announcement, with Internal Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir describing “whoever made this decision” as “evil” and “fool.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said humanitarian aid helped keep Hamas in power and risked throwing “the gains of the war down the drain.”

That the army could issue this message on a day when Israel was burying eleven of its soldiers, he said, was a symptom that leaders were giving too much weight to international opinion and not enough to the forces on the ground.

Both men have threatened to topple Netanyahu’s coalition government if he ends the war, as the United States wants.

But pressure on the costs of that war is also mounting at home.++Israel’s parallel conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon has escalated in recent days, highlighting the broader risks of continuing the war with its Hamas allies.

Last night, large crowds protested in Tel Aviv, calling on Netanyahu to end the conflict in Gaza and sign an agreement to return 120 Israeli hostages to their homes.

And the funerals of eleven soldiers, killed in Gaza over the weekend, once again highlight questions about how the war goals declared by Israel’s prime minister can be achieved.

Netanyahu has promised a “total victory” against Hamas.++He has framed the current operation in Rafah as an assault on the group’s last remaining battalions in Gaza, something necessary to destroy it, he says.

But it is clear that even dismantling Hamas as a structured military organization does not mean the complete end of the conflict.++Israeli forces still face guerrilla operations by Hamas fighters in areas they have previously cleared.

And there is no sign that the group’s key leaders–Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif–have been killed or captured.

For Netanyahu,+ending+the+war+is+likely+to+bring+a+new+battle+for+his+own+political+survival.

The+divisions+that+are+now+exposed+between+his+army+and+his+allies+highlight+the+tensions+between+rhetoric+and+reality+in+this+war.

And+the+tensions+Netanyahu+faces+as+he+straddles+them:+caught+between+the+promise+of+“total+victory”+and+the+prospect+of+“forever+war.”

A military decision to halt construction of a highway in the Gaza Strip has sparked divisions within the Israeli government. The decision, made by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, has been met with criticism from some government ministers, who argue that it will harm Israel’s security. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said he supports Gallant’s decision, but other ministers have called for it to be reversed. The highway, which would connect the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Erez, has been in the planning stages for years. It is intended to improve transportation and economic development in the area. However, the project has also been controversial, with some critics arguing that it would harm the environment and displace Palestinian residents. The decision to halt construction of the highway has been welcomed by Palestinian groups, who have long opposed the project. It remains to be seen how the government will resolve this issue.