Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has once again escalated the conflict in Gaza, ordering his military to launch powerful strikes that have killed over 100 people. This latest development poses a significant challenge to the current ceasefire agreement and raises serious concerns about the stability of the region.
The incident occurred just four days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited a new US military base in Israel, a move meant to signal President Donald Trump's commitment to maintaining the ceasefire. However, the latest violence suggests that Netanyahu may be seeking to undermine Trump's efforts and push for a more aggressive approach.
The ceasefire agreement was intended to bring an end to the bombardment of Gaza, but it appears that Israeli officials have been using this excuse to justify their continued attacks on Palestinians. In reality, the Israeli government has been pushing a narrative that Hamas is violating the ceasefire and has used this as a pretext for resuming its military operations.
This pattern of behavior is not new. During previous ceasefires in November 2023 and January 2025, Israel retrieved as many hostages as it could to soften blowback from its citizens before restarting attacks on Gaza. It appears that Netanyahu is repeating this strategy once again, using the ceasefire agreement as a smokescreen for his own military agenda.
The international community has been left wondering whether the US will hold Netanyahu accountable for violating the ceasefire agreement. The European Union and several major Western countries had threatened to impose sanctions or recognize Palestine as a state if Israel did not halt its actions. However, it remains unclear whether these threats have any real teeth or whether they will be ignored.
One thing is clear: the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly dire. Mass protests continue to erupt, and civilians are being killed by Israeli airstrikes. The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed concerns about the handling of hostage remains and the potential for further escalation.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, it is essential that the international community takes a firm stance against Israel's actions. The US needs to hold Netanyahu accountable for violating the ceasefire agreement and ensure that the human rights of Palestinians are respected. Anything less would be a betrayal of the values of democracy and human dignity.
The fact that many are still covering Trump's assault on democracy as "politics as usual" is disturbing. The Intercept has consistently reported on authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. It is essential that we continue to press for press freedom and defend democracy in all its forms.
For now, it remains unclear whether Netanyahu will be held accountable for his actions or if the ceasefire agreement will hold. One thing is certain: the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly perilous, and urgent action is needed to prevent further bloodshed.
				
			The incident occurred just four days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited a new US military base in Israel, a move meant to signal President Donald Trump's commitment to maintaining the ceasefire. However, the latest violence suggests that Netanyahu may be seeking to undermine Trump's efforts and push for a more aggressive approach.
The ceasefire agreement was intended to bring an end to the bombardment of Gaza, but it appears that Israeli officials have been using this excuse to justify their continued attacks on Palestinians. In reality, the Israeli government has been pushing a narrative that Hamas is violating the ceasefire and has used this as a pretext for resuming its military operations.
This pattern of behavior is not new. During previous ceasefires in November 2023 and January 2025, Israel retrieved as many hostages as it could to soften blowback from its citizens before restarting attacks on Gaza. It appears that Netanyahu is repeating this strategy once again, using the ceasefire agreement as a smokescreen for his own military agenda.
The international community has been left wondering whether the US will hold Netanyahu accountable for violating the ceasefire agreement. The European Union and several major Western countries had threatened to impose sanctions or recognize Palestine as a state if Israel did not halt its actions. However, it remains unclear whether these threats have any real teeth or whether they will be ignored.
One thing is clear: the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly dire. Mass protests continue to erupt, and civilians are being killed by Israeli airstrikes. The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed concerns about the handling of hostage remains and the potential for further escalation.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, it is essential that the international community takes a firm stance against Israel's actions. The US needs to hold Netanyahu accountable for violating the ceasefire agreement and ensure that the human rights of Palestinians are respected. Anything less would be a betrayal of the values of democracy and human dignity.
The fact that many are still covering Trump's assault on democracy as "politics as usual" is disturbing. The Intercept has consistently reported on authoritarian governments, billionaire oligarchs, and backsliding democracies around the world. It is essential that we continue to press for press freedom and defend democracy in all its forms.
For now, it remains unclear whether Netanyahu will be held accountable for his actions or if the ceasefire agreement will hold. One thing is certain: the situation in Gaza is becoming increasingly perilous, and urgent action is needed to prevent further bloodshed.