Israel has demanded the release of all hostages in Gaza as a precondition for any ceasefire, despite Hamas recently accepting a new truce proposal. While mediator Qatar has expressed cautious optimism, talks continue amid nearly two years of the genocide in Gaza.
Speaking to VOC News, Na’eem Jeenah, a senior researcher at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA), said that growing signs of division within Israel should not be ignored.
“The reality is that Israel has always been a cracked nation,” Jeenah explained, pointing to long-standing tensions between religious and secular communities, divisions within the religious sector, and historical disparities between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews. “Those cracks have always been there. But since October 7, 2023, they have deepened.”
Jeenah highlighted several key fault lines, particularly around hostages. “All the captives remaining in Gaza are soldiers, and there’s a sense in Israeli society that the government is not interested in bringing them back alive,” he noted. “That sense is correct.”
Another source of tension lies between the Israeli government and its security establishment. “When senior figures in the occupation forces say publicly that they don’t have the capacity to do what the government is demanding, whether it’s maintaining a long-term occupation of Gaza or defeating the resistance, that is very serious,” Jeenah said.
The question of military conscription, especially of young Orthodox men, has also sharpened divides. In the Knesset, a no-confidence vote narrowly failed just before Israel’s attack on Iran, underlining how fragile the governing coalition remains.
Economically, Jeenah added, Israel is under strain. “One wonders whether, without the huge amounts of foreign aid it receives, the economy could have survived this long after such a collapse.”
Amid these cracks, Jeenah cautioned against having overly optimistic expectations for peace. During this ongoing aggression, terms like ‘ceasefire’, ‘truce’, and ‘cessation of hostilities’ have surfaced, but Israel has consistently retracted when Gaza accepted proposals. “A genuine ceasefire will only happen when the cost to Israel becomes even greater than it currently is.”
Listen to the full interview below:
VOC News
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