Israel isn’t stopping at Gaza

Summary

Max Fisher argues that Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated promise of “complete victory” has come to represent a broader project extending beyond Gaza to the West Bank and southern Lebanon. He frames the coming Israeli election, legally due by October 27, as a test of that agenda, while emphasizing that it is supported by a wider political bloc—not Netanyahu alone.

Gaza

Before the war, Gaza was under a blockade controlled by Israel and Egypt. After Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, which killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, Israel’s military campaign killed more than 70,000 people, according to the video.

Fisher points to Israel’s control of much of Gaza and the concentration of its population in a small area. He cites statements by Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir about removing Gaza’s population, and argues that the destruction and displacement amount to ethnic cleansing of Gaza as a Palestinian homeland.

West Bank

Fisher describes the West Bank as already fragmented by Israeli military control, checkpoints, settlements, and the limited authority of the Palestinian Authority. He says the 2022 coalition government gave far-right figures Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich significant influence.

The video documents settler attacks, the growth of outposts, and Palestinian displacement, arguing that government and military support has made these activities more consequential. Fisher cites calls for annexation and warnings of a Gaza-like campaign in the West Bank, interpreting them as pointing toward further displacement.

Southern Lebanon

The video says Israel’s invasion has created a broad area of control south of the Litani River, where villages have been systematically destroyed and residents displaced. Fisher cites reporting that some Israeli troops described destruction—not fighting Hezbollah—as their mission. He also quotes Katz saying residents will not return until an unspecified future point and invoking a “Gaza model.”

Fisher argues that the stated goal is to prevent residents from returning and erase the area’s Lebanese presence.

Central conclusion

Fisher concludes that the three cases point to a shared strategy: displacing populations, destroying homes and communities, and taking control of the land. He describes this as ethnic cleansing, while distinguishing the destruction of a homeland from the destruction of a people.

He says Israeli leaders are stating their intentions openly and appear willing to risk international condemnation to pursue them. The election could affect the agenda’s prospects, he says, but the political forces behind it are unlikely to disappear after one vote.

Presenters and contributors

• Max Fisher — presenter and narrator
• Jasper Nathaniel — journalist whose reporting and footage from the West Bank are discussed
• Johnny Harris — referenced for a related video about Hezbollah and Lebanon