Israel’s “Ceasefire” charade: Escalating aggression across the Middle East

Department of Strategic Research, Studies and International Relations 29-10-2025

Despite a formal ceasefire agreement in Gaza, Israel continues to wage attacks across several Arab nations, extending its aggression far beyond the besieged enclave. The truce, announced on October 10, was meant to bring relief to Palestinians and de-escalate regional tensions. Yet, Israeli forces have maintained their campaign of violence in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Syria, and Lebanon, a pattern of destabilization many observers describe as deliberate and systematic.

While the United States, Israel’s principal backer, publicly focuses its rhetoric on the ceasefire’s “progress,” Washington has turned a blind eye to Tel Aviv’s regional provocations. The message from the West is clear: Israel’s aggression remains untouchable, no matter the human cost or international condemnation.

Repression intensifies in the West bank

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have intensified their crackdown on Palestinians. Since October 2023, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, with arrests, home raids, and land seizures continuing unabated. The timing of these attacks, coinciding with the olive harvest season, highlights a recurring pattern of harassment designed to impoverish and demoralize Palestinian farmers.

Palestinian media reported that several of those recently detained had previously been released in January’s short-lived prisoner exchange but were re-arrested without due process. This wave of arbitrary arrests underscores Israel’s determination to suffocate Palestinian resistance and entrench its illegal annexation efforts.

Meanwhile, Israel’s far-right officials are openly calling for the complete absorption of the West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has urged his followers to lobby the U.S. administration to endorse the annexation, declaring that Israel must impose “sovereignty” over the occupied land to eliminate what he called the “dangerous idea” of a Palestinian state.

Renewed Israeli intrusions in Syria

Across the border, Israeli aggression against Syria has intensified. Despite the end of Syria’s internal conflict and the stabilization efforts of its new government, Israel continues to violate Syrian sovereignty with almost daily incursions. Syrian media report a surge in reconnaissance flights, cross-border infiltrations, and the establishment of illegal Israeli checkpoints within Syrian territory.

One such incident occurred on Sunday in the Quneitra countryside, where Israeli forces entered the villages of al-Razaniyah and Sayda al-Hanout. Syrian news agency SANA reported that Israeli troops detained a local bread distributor before withdrawing, a move seen as part of Tel Aviv’s broader strategy to intimidate civilians and erode Syrian state control.

At the United Nations, Syria’s permanent representative, Ibrahim Olabi, condemned Israel’s ongoing occupation of Syrian territory, including the Golan Heights. He accused Israel of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, reaffirming that Damascus would not tolerate continued Israeli interference. Despite these statements, Washington’s silence has emboldened Tel Aviv to press forward unchecked.

Lebanon faces constant bombardment

In Lebanon, Israeli violations of the 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah have become routine. Southern Lebanon has faced near-daily bombardment in recent weeks, with Israeli drones and artillery targeting both military and civilian areas. On Monday, the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) reported that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near a UN patrol before an Israeli tank fired toward peacekeepers, a dangerous escalation, though no casualties were reported.

The day before, Israeli air raids killed two Lebanese civilians in Baalbek and Naqoura. Despite the ceasefire agreement signed last November, Israel never fully withdrew from Lebanese territory and continues to occupy several border points. The Lebanese government has demanded that Washington pressure Tel Aviv to comply with the truce, but U.S. envoys have failed to achieve even minimal restraint from Israel.

Lebanese officials warn that Israel’s actions could reignite a full-scale war. Memories of last year’s destruction, when Israeli forces killed more than 4,000 Lebanese civilians and displaced over a million, remain painfully fresh. Yet Israeli military drills simulating a Hezbollah invasion continue, further heightening tensions.

Gaza: A ceasefire in name only

In Gaza, U.S. Vice President JD Vance hailed the October 10 ceasefire as going “better than expected.” But the grim reality on the ground tells a different story. Israeli drones and artillery continue to target densely populated areas, while humanitarian aid remains severely restricted.

Just this weekend, Israel struck the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing one Palestinian and injuring four others. Since the ceasefire took effect, nearly 100 Palestinians have died from continued Israeli assaults. The so-called truce has also failed to restore Gaza’s devastated infrastructure or reopen critical medical corridors.

At the Rafah crossing, Israel continues to block cancer patients and other critically ill civilians from leaving for treatment abroad. One such patient, Rasha Abu Sbeaka, told Al Jazeera that she has been waiting for weeks for permission to travel after Israeli strikes destroyed much of Gaza’s medical network. Her story represents thousands, victims trapped in a blockade that defies the very essence of the ceasefire Israel claims to respect.

From the West Bank to Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, Israel’s actions reveal a coordinated strategy of domination masked by diplomatic theatrics. Backed by Washington’s unwavering political and military support, Tel Aviv operates with complete impunity, undermining regional peace and violating international law.

Meanwhile, nations such as China, Russia, and India have consistently called for restraint, urging an end to unilateral aggression and respect for sovereignty. As the world watches, it grows ever clearer that Israel’s “ceasefire” is nothing more than a smokescreen, a temporary pause in rhetoric, not in war.