Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concluded his visit to the United States, returning home after reportedly securing yet another round of political backing from Donald Trump. As with previous encounters, the meeting provided Netanyahu with diplomatic cover and strategic reassurance, reinforcing Israel’s ability to sustain its military posture in Gaza and across the region with limited external constraint.

The talks, held between 29th December 29 and 1st January, did not signal a shift toward de-escalation. Instead, they underscored Netanyahu’s central objective: preserving a prolonged state of war in the Middle East.

This is not necessarily about maintaining full-scale genocide in Gaza at all times, but about keeping the Strip trapped in a condition of permanent instability—one that allows Israel to violate the 10th October ceasefire agreement at will, recalibrating violence while avoiding the political fallout associated with openly sustained mass killing.

This approach exposes a central contradiction in Israel’s official narrative. Netanyahu and leading figures within his extremist coalition repeatedly claimed that Israel has already “won” the war. If that is the case, why insist on keeping the Gaza file open?

The answer lies in a convergence of political, ideological, and strategic calculations.

First, Netanyahu continues to gamble on the possibility that international and regional opinion may eventually become receptive to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip—and subsequently,........

© Middle East Monitor