Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 60 people across Gaza, just one day after former President Donald Trump called to “make a deal in Gaza, get the hostages back,” a combat operation all too familiar after nearly two years of unrelenting violence.
According to Reuters, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is traveling to Washington for meetings on Iran and Gaza. The visit may account for the intensified bombing campaign over the weekend, as Israel’s military continues to implement its controversial “Dahiya Doctrine”, a strategy of collective punishment aimed at pressuring adversaries through civilian suffering.
Dermer is expected to hold meetings with Trump administration officials on Tuesday, according to Reuters. Alongside ceasefire discussions, Dermer also plans to explore the possibility of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting Washington in the coming weeks, most likely to bolster political support as his long-running corruption trial has been postponed due to security concerns related to both Gaza and the escalating tensions with Iran.
The prospect of meaningful progress appears remote. Fighting continues daily across the enclave, and despite Israel’s deteriorating international reputation, fundamental diplomatic barriers remain.
A Hamas official said any ceasefire depends on Israel abandoning its longstanding position: that the Israeli military must remain in Gaza after the war and that Hamas must disarm and dissolve. Hamas, for its part, refuses to lay down arms.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel has agreed to a U.S.-proposed 60-day ceasefire and hostage exchange deal, placing responsibility on Hamas to respond. “Israel is serious in its will to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza,” he told reporters.
But these proposals appear to be more smoke and mirrors, an attempt to provide political cover for the Netanyahu government as it continues its campaign to devastate Gaza to the point where “voluntary migration” becomes the only perceived option for Palestinians.
While European leaders, including Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, warn that “the suffering of civilians is increasingly burdening Israel’s relations with Europe,” no meaningful political pressure has been applied to force an end to the killing.
One glimmer of hope for Palestinians comes from Israel’s military failure during its recent 12-day conflict with Iran. That engagement effectively ended Israel’s regional military impunity. The blow to its deterrence capacity, a foundational element of Israel’s security strategy, cannot be overstated.
Despite modest U.S. diplomatic success in pushing for pan-Arab normalization with Israel, the state’s position remains deceptively weak.
In this episode of State of Play, we’ll break down the latest escalation in Gaza, analyze the political theater surrounding ceasefire negotiations, and expose how Israel’s Dahiya Doctrine—collective punishment as deterrence—continues to be deployed with impunity. This is all highly calculated.
We’ll also unpack Netanyahu’s postponed corruption trial, the increasingly hollow prospects of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, growing European frustration with Israel, Hamas’ refusal to disarm, and the long-term consequences of Israel’s failed confrontation with Iran.
Be sure to watch the full episode above, or on our YouTube channel, for the full breakdown.
Feature photo | A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip. Abdel Kareem Hana | AP
Greg Stoker is a former US Army Ranger with a background in human intelligence collection and analysis. After serving four combat deployments in Afghanistan, he studied anthropology and International Relations at Columbia University. He is currently a military and geopolitical analyst, and a social media “influencer,” though he hates the term.
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