Netanyahu’s Jaramana strategy fuels concerns over Syria escalation and internal Israeli dissent — the details

Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

The Israeli cabinet's approval of the extension of the war decree, which allows the military to recruit over 400,000 reserve soldiers, has shed light on the true intentions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. 

These plans signal a renewed push for conflict across multiple fronts.

Netanyahu did not wait for the government session on Sunday. Instead, late on Saturday night, he issued orders for the army to prepare to enter Jaramana, Syria, under the pretext of protecting the Druze community there.

The announcement shocked several Israeli factions due to its timing and content. The goal appears to be an attempt to control the Syrian Druze towns and impose self-rule there, all under the guise of helping Israel's Druze in supporting their "counterparts."

The plans to intervene in the Syrian arena have sparked objections within Israel, with warnings about the risks of igniting a new front with Syria.

In light of these reservations regarding intervention in Jaramana, Netanyahu did not address the issue during the government session. Instead, he issued a threat to reignite the Gaza front, should Hamas oppose U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal. 

The proposal called for extending the first phase during the Ramadan and Passover periods and for the release of living and dead captives.

The U.S. proposal is aligned with Netanyahu's stance, which rejects negotiations on the second phase.

To enforce this position, collective punishment was imposed on Gazans through a decision to halt the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip.

In this way, through his plans for Syria and Gaza, Netanyahu is putting the entire region at risk of renewed conflict, disregarding the objections of Israelis who hold him responsible for the 59 captives in Gaza, fewer than half of whom are alive, and who are seen as potential "pawns" to prolong the life of his government coalition.