With President Donald Trump now in the White House, analysts say Israel is operating with fewer constraints than before, impacting its military approach and the war’s potential outcome.
"It is all about Trump," a former senior Israeli official told Fox News Digital, "Netanyahu can continue this war for another year. If Trump tells him in two weeks, enough, now you have to go for a deal, he would." The same source also suggested that a new strategy is now being implemented: Dividing Gaza into controlled corridors, with food and civilian movement under Israeli military oversight, aiming to pressure Hamas.
John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point’s Modern War Institute, told Fox News Digital, "The Trump administration, even before it was elected, was very clear: release all the hostages, including American citizens, or I will provide Israel everything it needs to legally, lawfully, and within all international laws prosecute its war against Hamas, with fewer constraints than the Biden administration put on it."
CEASEFIRE OVER AS ISRAEL STRIKES GAZA AFTER HAMAS REFUSED TO RELEASE HOSTAGES, OFFICIALS SAY
"The big variable at the higher level is the status of civilian evacuations," Spencer explained. "The United States is now more open to encouraging nations to allow Gazans to temporarily evacuate combat zones, which signals a shift in approach under the Trump administration."
The collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has reignited military operations in Gaza. Israel cited Hamas' refusal to release hostages as the reason for resuming attacks, while Hamas claimed that Israel failed to uphold its commitments under the ceasefire agreement.
Jonathan Conricus, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, highlighted Egypt’s role in the evolving situation: "I think that this time around, Egypt will be forced by the U.S. to open up the gate and allow Palestinians to flee the battlefield. That is the right thing to do. It's the humane thing to do. It is the legal thing to do, and that is what Egypt must do," he said. He criticized Egyptian authorities for restricting Palestinian movement, arguing that their policies have contributed to civilian suffering.
"For the first time, Israel will be able to use all available weapons to decisively defeat Hamas," Conricus, a former IDF spokesman, told Fox News Digital.
FREED ISRAELI HOSTAGE SPEAKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT HIS 505 DAYS OF SURVIVING HAMAS HELL
In a video statement on Tuesday, Netanyahu thanked President Trump for his unwavering support of Israel, "Our alliance with the United States has never been stronger," he said.
On the battlefield, Israel has expanded its targets beyond Hamas’ military infrastructure to its governmental network.
"The recent strikes, as Israel states, include quite a lot of the governmental side of a terror organization," Assaf Orion, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute and INSS, told Fox News Digital. However, he said, questions remain about what will follow if Hamas' governance structure is dismantled.
The hostage situation remains a central issue. While the Israeli government argues that military action is necessary to pressure Hamas into releasing captives, concerns about hostage safety have sparked protests within Israel. Conricus told Fox News Digital, "The risk to hostages has increased. Hamas may execute some in retaliation for Israel’s renewed offensive, but the way I see it, Israel had no choice but to resume military operations after two weeks in which Hamas didn’t release any hostages. Honestly, I’m surprised we’ve waited this long to act."
Orion acknowledged the complexity of balancing military objectives with hostage negotiations: "There is a clear tension between releasing the hostages, which involves a deal, and eradicating Hamas, which involves fighting. If the hostages are killed, that’s irreversible. An enduring defeat to Hamas, we all understand, is a generational task," he told Fox News Digital.
Whether Hamas can be fully defeated remains an open question. Spencer believes it to be possible, saying, "Hamas is weaker than ever, with its ability to hold territory and conduct organized military operations severely diminished. However, Israel must commit to holding the ground it clears, or Hamas could regroup and return."
The outcome of Israel’s renewed campaign will depend not just on military strategy but also on Trump’s political approach. As the former Israeli official noted, if Trump decides to push for negotiations, Netanyahu is likely to follow suit. Until then, Israel appears set to continue its most extensive military operation yet.
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