Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jul 20: Israel’s long-standing policy of securing its borders through military expansion has now reached unprecedented levels, raising serious concerns about regional stability. While officials in Tel Aviv continue to frame their actions as essential for “national security,” observers claim the operations reflect a deeper expansionist agenda.
Defence Minister Israel Katz reiterated in February that radical groups near Israel’s borders, whether in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, or other regions, would no longer be tolerated. But many believe this policy isn’t new — it is simply a long-standing doctrine being implemented more aggressively.
Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi, writing in the Financial Times, argued that Israel’s push for territory is now “cloaked in the language of security and religious entitlement,” referencing the concept of a “Greater Israel” upheld by some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
In Gaza, Israeli forces have intensified the demolition of buildings. Observers say this may signal a long-term strategy to displace Palestinians and exert complete control over the strip. In the occupied West Bank, illegal settlements continue to rise, while Syria and Lebanon have seen increased military strikes.
In Syria’s Golan Heights, Israeli forces are said to be expanding well beyond the lines previously respected. Since the removal of Bashar al-Assad last December, Israel has launched hundreds of attacks and taken control of nearly 155 square miles. Recent airstrikes on Damascus and southern Syria were officially described as efforts to protect the Druze community, though critics see them as opportunistic moves to secure territory.
Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas termed these actions “pure opportunism” and questioned the narrative of protecting minorities. Many analysts suggest Israel prefers a fragmented Syria, which allows it to operate freely near its borders.
A ceasefire was declared last Friday following intense fighting in Sweida province, but the situation remains fragile. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa may now face the tough choice between asserting control or risking a broader conflict with Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, known for his extreme views, previously declared that Israel would not stop until Syria was dismantled, Hezbollah defeated, Iran disarmed, and Palestinians expelled from Gaza.
Reports also suggest that Israel is lobbying Washington to support a divided Syria — with ethnic enclaves and a demilitarised southern zone bordering Israel.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), Israel carried out nearly 35,000 attacks across five countries between October 7, 2023, and June 13. These include airstrikes, shelling, and drone attacks on Palestinian territory, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen. Gaza alone witnessed over 18,000 attacks.
Israel’s post-war operations in Gaza involve mass demolition with heavy machinery, sometimes operated by civilians earning as much as $9,000 a month. One operator told TheMarker that the destruction was initially for money, then for revenge.
In the West Bank, Israel is applying similar tactics. According to UK-based Forensic Architecture, Israeli forces have flattened areas in Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem using airstrikes, bulldozers, and troop deployments. These actions have displaced at least 40,000 Palestinians, the UN estimates.
Commentators believe this unchecked military expansion is pushing the Middle East toward a wider conflict. German-based Jewish journalist Martin Gak compared Israel’s strategy to Russia’s scorched-earth approach in Chechnya, calling it a “Russian playbook of complete destruction.”
Saudi writer Shihabi questioned the logic behind this expansion. “What does Israel truly gain?” he asked, pointing out that the price includes growing international isolation, trauma within Israeli society, and the destabilisation of the region.
What began as a campaign against Hamas has morphed into a vast military operation across borders — one backed quietly by the US and its allies. Critics argue that Israel’s policies are now driven more by ambition than self-defence.
As tensions rise across Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and beyond, the world watches anxiously. Observers warn that unless curbed, Israel’s growing militarism could soon ignite a larger regional conflict.