Foreign Policy: The Old War on Gaza Is Over — A New One Has Begun

According to a revealing article in Foreign Policy, Israel’s war on Gaza has entered an entirely new phase. What began as a retaliation for the October 7th attack has now shifted into a different conflict altogether — with new strategies, new goals, and a dangerous ideological agenda driving it forward.

Israeli journalist David E. Rosenberg writes that since the collapse of the January ceasefire and the resumption of military operations in March 2025, the war has undergone a radical transformation in both tactics and intent.

From Measurable Military Goals to Ideological Ambitions

In its initial phase, Israel’s war focused on measurable military objectives: restoring deterrence, eliminating Hamas fighters, and rescuing hostages. It was marked by widespread public support and national unity. Reservists were mobilised en masse, and the war had a strong retaliatory tone.

However, over time, as military pressure failed to secure the release of hostages and civilian casualties in Gaza mounted, public support began to erode, especially in light of Israel’s growing economic crisis.

The second phase of the war, which began in March, is strategically different. Under new IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, the focus has shifted from rapid strikes to long-term occupation. Zamir’s plan involves controlling large swathes of Gaza, managing humanitarian aid to isolate Hamas, and establishing so-called “humanitarian zones” to relocate civilians — a move critics say lays the groundwork for ethnic cleansing.

The New War: Driven by Far-Right Ideology

While the first phase of the war was broadly supported across Israel’s political spectrum, the second phase appears driven by the far-right factions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

Among their ambitions: recolonising Gaza with Israeli settlers.

The Israeli government has now established a formal office to facilitate the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza to third countries. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich even stated openly that the goal is to empty Gaza within a year — a sentiment Netanyahu has refused to challenge, signalling tacit approval.

This marks a dangerous shift: from dismantling Hamas to reengineering Gaza’s demographics entirely.

“Negotiations Will Happen Under Fire”

Netanyahu’s recent remarks — “negotiations will happen under fire” — underline this ideological hardening. His evasive responses to ministers questioning Gaza’s postwar future reveal a deliberate lack of a political roadmap, leaving space for the far-right to impose their settlement agenda.

Even though Chief of Staff Zamir does not publicly espouse religious-nationalist rhetoric, his military tactics — establishing semi-permanent occupation zones and controlling aid flows — are laying the infrastructure for future colonisation.

A New, More Dangerous War Has Begun

In conclusion, this is no longer the same war that began in October 2023. Israel’s new war is one of gradual annexation, not rapid retaliation. Its goals have shifted — from defeating Hamas to reshaping Gaza politically and demographically in line with far-right Israeli ambitions.

As Foreign Policy aptly puts it: “The old war on Gaza is over. A new one has begun.”

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