Mideast Maze 

Night after night, for nearly two years, the same images fill screens: explosions in Lebanon, ruins in Gaza, fires in Yemen. An unending question hangs over it all — will anything ever truly change?

In recent days, Israel’s complex reality has come to center on a single decision that could shape the current war’s trajectory: whether and how to seize Gaza City.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, never shy of sweeping historical comparisons, likened it to “entering Berlin after conquering most of Germany.” He made the remark in an interview with the right-wing network OAN, later posting it proudly on his X account. The grandiose analogy, typical of Netanyahu, shows how his government now frames the decisive stage of the war on Hamas.

At Friday’s security cabinet meeting, ministers signed off on operational plans for the city’s conquest. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reinforced the urgency during a visit to Tulkarm, declaring: “We are expanding activity in Gaza in the coming days. We are committed to act responsibly.”