Is "Israel" leading the way toward another Gaza war this Ramadan?

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Last May, the world watched on as "Israel" ignited what would become an 11-day war against the Gaza Strip, following significant escalations during the Holy month of Ramadan. This Ramadan seems to be following a very similar blueprint and the results could be deadly.

After a month of constant confrontations in and around the old city of occupied Al-Quds, Palestinians rose up into a mass revolt not seen in years. What would later become a war between the Israeli occupation forces and Gaza’s armed resistance was at its core the eruption of popular outrage from Palestinians across historic Palestine. Palestinian citizens of '48 occupied territories came out in unprecedented numbers to defend Al-Aqsa mosque after rising tensions between their communities and Israeli police forces. The streets in Lydd, Umm Al-Fahm, Haifa, Yafa, and elsewhere were filled with Palestinians confronting hardline Israeli settlers and armed police.

The 11-day war cost roughly 270 Palestinians their lives, as well as 13 Israelis, yet represented a historic win for the Palestinian resistance - in all of its manifestations - resulting in mass celebrations across East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza by the time of the ceasefire implementation. The Palestinian ‘Joint Room’, which included the armed resistance factions from Palestinian parties across the political spectrum, took part in what was called Seif Al-Quds (Sword of Jerusalem) Battle. What sparked this nightmare scenario, where Palestinians inside the 1948 occupied territories, as well as the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and even in Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, took to the streets and borders to confront Israeli forces, was the Israeli storming of Al-Aqsa mosque. 

Not only Palestinians, but the whole world, watched on as Israeli forces violently attacked Palestinian worshippers in Al-Aqsa compound day in and day out, leading up to and during Eid Al-Fitr. This led to Abu Obeida, the Spokesperson for Hamas’ Al-Qassam brigades, giving "Israel" until 6 o’clock, on May 10, to prevent an extremist settlers march from taking place in the Old City. Hamas kept its promise, firing a barrage of rockets into Israeli settlements surrounding Jerusalem.

Due to the carnage that was dished out during the 11-day war, the Secretary-General of Lebanese Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced a new equation in the event that Jerusalem again came under this sort of attack, "regional war". Lebanese Hezbollah, Yemen’s Ansar Allah, and armed factions in Iraq, connected to the Popular Mobilization Units, have all pledged to partake in such a regional confrontation with "Israel". This is on top of the potential eruption of a Palestinian mass revolt against "Israel", with Gaza’s armed factions opening up a military confrontation also. This threat is serious, yet "Israel" seems to be in the business of playing with fire.

Since the beginning of Ramadan, Israeli occupation forces have set up camp surrounding Bab Al-Amoud (Damascus Gate) area in Al-Quds' Old City, attacking and arresting Palestinians. Yair Lapid, Israeli Foreign Minister, also decided to storm the area surrounded by armed Israeli forces. On Wednesday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the Israeli opposition, also participated in a far-right settler march in occupied Al-Quds, to protest the Israeli regime's inability to prevent Palestinian resistance acts, such as the three operations carried out last month. The reason why former Israeli Premier Netanyahu’s involvement in such protests is so significant is that his provocations - if he chooses to try and enter the Old City - could be taken as a repeat of Ariel Sharon’s storming of Al-Aqsa mosque that sparked the second Intifada in 2000.

Netanyahu is attempting to pressure the current Israeli administration, led by Naftali Bennett, in order to disband his power-sharing coalition. This could mean that the former Israeli PM, who now faces corruption charges, will risk another war on Gaza if it means he can find himself back in the competition for power. Last May, Benjamin Netanyahu refused to prevent extremist settler gangs from taking to the streets of occupied Al-Quds and attacking Palestinians, storming the Old City, and igniting tensions in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. These decisions may have ended up costing him politically, this being said, it is only more likely that he would risk his enemies having to face such a situation, which could easily bring an end to the current Israeli coalition.

As Palestinians fast and celebrate the Holy month of Ramadan, they also prepare themselves for another Israeli onslaught, however, this time, it could look very different and make last year's May seem like a walk in the park. West Bankers are now taking to the armed struggle at an ever-escalating rate and even Palestinian citizens of '48 occupied territories are now at a boiling point. It seems that it is only a matter of time before something sparks the next uprising against Israeli occupation, and the Zionist regime is not pursuing a diplomatic path in order to avoid it.