Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized US President Donald Trump’s ““Peace Circle” Days after opposing elements of a multi-tiered structure proposed by Washington to oversee the Palestinian territory, for the future of Gaza.
The apparent flip-flop comes as the idea of Netanyahu as a member of the board has sparked criticism from many Palestinians and their supporters, given the Israeli leader’s central role in the genocidal war on Gaza since October 2023, which has killed more than 71,450 people. Confronting Netanyahu Arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories.
But many analysts believe there is a deliberate strategy behind what appears to be a shift in Israeli positions.
A few days before that Place accepted At the multi-national forum, Netanyahu expressed opposition to the Gaza “executive board”, saying its structure was “not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy”.
A member of US-led boardRepresentatives of nations friendly to Israel, including former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, will “oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success”, the White House said, including “governance, regional relations, greater investment-rebuilding capacity, reconstruction-relations enhancing” funding, and capital mobilization”.
But as Netanyahu prepares to sit with them on board, the Israeli military is simultaneously blocking access to the enclave it is tasked with rebuilding.
According to analysts, the Israeli government’s decision to join may therefore be a calculated strategy to sabotage future efforts to govern Gaza.
All members of the board would be able to vote on the decisions, while Trump as president would be able to veto them – and could be drawn into “negotiations” with Israel over these decisions.
Rami Khoury, a fellow at the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera that “Israel does not have a veto,” but added: “Trump has clearly shown that he will make a deal … Israel will object and eventually come to a deal, as happened with the Peace Council.”
“While Trump is in the business and eager to close the file to focus on Iran, Netanyahu is a ‘long-term Zionist planner’ intent on buying time,” Khouri said.
Israel has already objected to Trump’s inclusion of Turkey and Qatar on the board, calling it a “red line,” according to Israeli media reports.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid told Netanyahu in the Knesset that Trump had announced the board “without your knowledge.” He accused the prime minister of weakness, saying: “Hamas’ hosts in Istanbul and Doha … have been invited to manage Gaza.”
Netanyahu responded that “there will be no Turkish or Qatari soldiers in Gaza”, acknowledging “disagreement” with Washington over the advisory council.
A strategy of ‘disruption’
While the diplomatic row has so far focused on board members, a real deadlock is at work, analysts say.
Haaretz Reported Israel on Tuesday refused to allow the Palestinian National Committee for Gaza Administration – a 15-member committee of politically independent Palestinian experts that works under the supervision of the Reconstruction and Peace Council – to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing. These “technocrats” were to take over the civil administration of the Strip this week.
So on the surface, the US and Israel are at odds over Gaza and the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, of which the committee is a part. But despite the rhetoric, analysts say there is no real divide between the allies.
“I don’t call it a conflict, I call it a diversion,” Mohand Mustafa, an expert on Israeli affairs, told Al Jazeera.
“Netanyahu cannot say ‘no’ directly to Trump, so Israel will use tools to disrupt the committee’s work … restricting their movement and keeping the Rafah crossing closed.”
Finally, Israel aims to double the second “humanitarian phase” of the ceasefire agreement from the first “withdrawal phase”.
“Israel will tell everyone: continue with your committees, but we will not withdraw,” Mustafa predicted. “They are currently expanding their control over 55 to 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.”
Reconstruction versus Security: The ‘High Altitude’ Threat
While the reconstruction of Gaza is high on the agenda of the peace plan in Gaza, the Israeli military is already sounding the alarm about it.
Haaretz Reported Israeli military officials are concerned about physical reconstruction plans, especially the proposed “high-rise towers” in the new Gaza. They say the buildings will overlook southern Israeli settlements and military bases and that this is “unacceptable”.
Citing such security threats, Israel effectively freezes reconstruction before it can begin, demanding an independent disarmament process that no international organization is willing or able to implement.
It shows “the absurdity of the US vision colliding with Israeli reality,” Mustafa said.
“Imagine building residential clusters in areas that Israel still controls militarily. The committee would probably start managing the areas … but with Israeli security clearances.”
Sample of compliance for compensation
Khoury argued that the “brinkmanship” Israel has seen playing out is a historical pattern dating back 75 years, whereby it accedes to US demands only after receiving substantial compensation.
“It will try to get guarantees in return,” Khoury said, citing withdrawals from Sinai in 1979 and Lebanon in 2000. “The US did what it wanted … but it was guaranteed an unprecedented level of aid, support from the UN and strategic defense cooperation.”
By creating a crisis over the annexation of Turkey and Qatar – or the construction of elite apartment blocks – Netanyahu may be positioning himself for new security guarantees – or perhaps access to advanced weapons – in exchange for allowing the Peace Council to function.
Domestic Pressure Cooker
However, Netanyahu is not just negotiating with Trump; He is also fighting for political survival at home.
A recent Channel 13 poll found that 53 percent of Israelis see Turkish-Qatari participation in the peace talks as an “Israeli failure.” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slammed the US plan and is called It is “an evil plan for Israel.”
According to the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv, Smotrich also claimed that countries such as the UK and Egypt were hostile to Israel’s security. Smotrich continues to call for military rule over Gaza and the “voluntary evacuation” of its population instead of Israel’s withdrawal.
“Netanyahu is in a political whirlwind,” Mustafa said. “He’s being squeezed by the opposition, the settlers who want to return to Gaza, and the Americans.”
The election clock is ticking
A final variable is the Israeli election calendar, with elections likely in October 2026.
“If Israel withdraws from Gaza without disarming Hamas, it will be considered a failure,” Mustafa said. “Netanyahu will prioritize his personal electoral interests over pleasing Trump.”
Although the disarmament of Hamas is part of the cease-fire agreement with Israel, there is still no formal agreement on when this will happen, despite Trump’s growing displeasure. Last week, he said he would push for the “comprehensive” disarmament of Hamas, writing in a social media post: “As I said before, they can do it the easy way or the hard way.”
However, according to Khoury, the bottom line is that as US public opinion turns to the horrors of the massacre in Gaza, forcing Washington to pay attention, Israel fears losing its “sole security control” of the Strip.
“They fear that what happened in Lebanon will happen in Gaza,” Khoury concluded. “Because then the same thing can happen in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. So they will use all the different methods that have been used for 100 years.