Netanyahu’s Gaza gambit begins to alienate key allies, raise risk of U.S. support being cut

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a renewed offensive in Gaza with the aim of retaking the entire strip and eliminating Hamas. As a result, the country’s foreign allies have begun to substantially push back on Jerusalem and public opinion has turned decidedly against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and their ongoing efforts in the coastal region.

“The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip,” Netanyahu said Monday.

In a Wednesday press conference, he stated that "I am prepared to end the war according to clear conditions: Hamas lays down its weapons, steps down from power, returns all the hostages, Gaza is demilitarized and we implement the Trump plan," according to Jewish Insider.

Though the ongoing conflict has long prompted humanitarian objections from Western leaders and even led to the International Criminal Court issuing an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, Western countries have largely confined their objections to public criticism, until now.

The United Kingdom this week halted free trade negotiations with Israel and imposed sanctions on settlers in the West Bank after warning Jerusalem it would face the consequences of a renewed offensive in Gaza.

“Blocking aid. Expanding the war. Dismissing the concerns of your friends and partners. This is indefensible. And it must stop,” U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, according to the Associated Press.

Whitehall’s move followed the UK, France, and Canada issuing a joint statement this week, warning of “concrete actions” in the face of the Gaza offensive. 

Netanyahu: "War of civilization over barbarism"

“We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” the trio of nations said, according to Al Jazeera. “Israel must halt settlements which are illegal … We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions.”

The settlements refer to Israeli-backed villages inside the West Bank, which 147 of 193 U.N. member nations regard as Palestinian territory. Netanyahu, for his part, responded ferociously to the U.K.'s foreign secretary, saying that “[b]y asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottowa [sic] and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities.”

“This is a war of civilization over barbarism. Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” he added. Netanyahu also invoked the loose outline of a Trump-backed peace plan involving the release of hostages, the exile of Hamas, and the demilitarization of Gaza.

Israel’s largest backer, the United States, moreover, has increasingly pulled back on its public support for the government, with The Washington Post reporting this week that the U.S. could walk away from the embattled nation.

U.S. may cut aid to Israel, while public opinion sours

“Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war,’” a “person familiar with the discussions” told The Washington Post. U.S. officials have denied the reporting, according to The Times of Israel, with one unnamed official calling the idea “preposterous.” 

The White House wants a speedy end to the Gaza conflict and is frustrated with Israel’s pursuit of continued hostilities. "The president is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza," a White House official told Axios.

Public opinion in America has also soured to a noticeable degree, with a majority of respondents in an April Pew Research Center poll expressing an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42% in 2022. American confidence in Netanyahu, moreover, stood at a mere 32%. Conducted March 24-30, the survey questioned 3,605 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of +/- 1.9%.

Spain, a longtime critic of Israel, this week opted for a less economic approach to reproaching Israel, suggesting that Europe exclude Israel from international cultural events, such as the Eurovision song contest. The last contest finale drew 9 million viewers in Germany, 4.8 million in Italy, 5.2 million in France, 6.7 million in the UK, and 5.9 million in Spain.

"We cannot allow double standards, not even in culture," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, according to Reuters. "I believe that no one was shocked three years ago when Russia was asked to withdraw from international competitions after it invaded Ukraine and not participate, for example, at Eurovision. Therefore, Israel should not do so either.”

Israel acknowledges the condemnation

At present, Israel has not fully occupied the entire Gaza Strip and some territories, especially the innermost portion of Jabalia in the northern portion of the strip, remain un-pacified. The territorial situation is somewhat fluid. There is no clear timetable for a completed Israeli operation.

The government in Jerusalem is not blind to the international outrage, and this week permitted five trucks on Monday to bring humanitarian supplies into Gaza after pressure from Israel's international partners. Netanyahu acknowledged that pressure from allies friendly to Israel had forced his hand, saying they told him “[w]e cannot accept images of hunger, mass hunger. We cannot stand that. We will not be able to support you,” according to the Associated Press.

The trucks of aid were received, but Gazans responded with complaints. 

Al-Jazeera reported the complaints were that the trucks included only a pittance of the necessary supplies. The Qatar-based news outlet broadcast one Gazan saying that “[w]e don’t have anything. Today, children will sleep without dinner and drink salty water. This is the real famine the Palestinian people are now experiencing, and no one is paying attention.”