Description: Statements from both IDF’s Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and far – right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, indicate a return in fighting and violence in the West Bank as the ceasefire agreement is still in its early stages. Smotrich stated that Israel should occupy the entire Gaza Strip and the West Bank and establish a military rule in the region as there was no third – party force eligible for such action. IDF’s Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi on the other hand has supposedly instructed the military to mobilize for large scale attacks in the West Bank in the upcoming period as plans of actions were also being prepared for further invasion of the Gaza Strip and military operations within Lebanon.
Impact: The statements from Israel’s highest political and military echelons only indicate that the ceasefire agreement would be short – lived as Israel prepares for further military operations in the region. The brokered agreement still in its early stages could be compromised by Israel’s internal political division and regional ambitions as apparent military preparations were on the way. If the region plunges into a surge of revived violence and armed conflict, chances for peace, negotiation and conflict resolution instantly become very slim. Although no official statement from the Israeli government was issued, the ceasefire agreement in its initial vulnerable stages of implementation could easily crumble under Israeli military pressure.