CW Column

CWA # 1852
CW Column
Escalating ceasefire violations and settler violence in Gaza, Israel-Syria tensions, and Israel's pressure on Hezbollah

Brighty Ann Sarah
21 November 2025

Photo Source: Reuters

What happened this week?
1. Gaza: Persistent ceasefire violations and settler violence in occupied regions
On 17 November, a group of Israelis set fire to homes and vehicles in Jab'a, a Palestinian village near Bethlehem after an earlier attack on the village of Sa’ir. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss the settler violence.
 
On 18 November, following the UNSC approval of the US draft resolution for Gaza, PM Netanyahu called for the expulsion of Hamas from the region and the "full demilitarization, disarmament, and deradicalization of Gaza."

On 19 and 20 November, Israel launched severe airstrikes on alleged Hamas outfits in the suburbs of Khan Younis, killing 25 people. The strikes were launched in regions far beyond the agreed-upon imaginary "yellow line" separating the areas under Israeli and Palestinian control. 

2. Syria: Spat over Netanyahu’s visit to military troops in Syria’s demilitarised buffer zones
On 19 November, Syria denounced PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s and other senior officials' visit to the country’s south, where they visited troops deployed to Syrian territory that Israel has occupied for months.  Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, told the UN Security Council that “My government strongly condemns this provocative tour, which epitomises Israel’s ongoing aggression against Syria and its people.”

3. Lebanon: Israel launches major airstrike in south Lebanon
On 20 November, according to media reports, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) carried out the airstrikes on Lebanon, in a campaign to prevent the military revival of Hezbollah in the border area. The Israeli military said it struck "weapons storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah's rocket unit", and that these were "located in the heart of the civilian population," adding that it had taken steps to mitigate harm to civilians. 

What are the issues?
1. Ceasefire violations & Hamas’ reluctance to disarm in Gaza
Since the starting of the US-brokered ceasefire on 10 October, violations from both Hamas and Israel have been persistent and escalating. The rising scale of the attacks threatens the viability of pursuing the next phase of the peace plan and the implementation of the UNSC approved US resolution. Cases of civil unrest among the Israeli communities dissatisfied with the peace process are also increasing. The event was the last in the series of violent attacks from Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, and drew criticism from Prime Minister Netanyahu, who vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

Besides, there have been tensions over other aspects of the ceasefire and the latest UNSC resolution. Despite advancing the levels of the peace process, key areas, including the operations of Hamas, and the larger Palestinian statehood, remain points of severe contestation. Hamas has rejected any suggestion of disarmament and has deepened its presence in the region following the ceasefire. Israel’s demands for the expulsion of Hamas directly contradict Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which offers amnesty to Hamas members “who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons.” Failing to achieve a consensus on such critical aspects endangers the possibility of a lasting peace.

2. Tensions between Israel and Syria
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) troops stationed in the demilitarized buffer zone of southern Syria was interpreted as a violation of Syria’s sovereignty and an episode of Israel’s expansion into the territory since the fall of the Assad regime. Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab–Israeli War. Following Assad’s fall, it argued that the 1974 UN-brokered disengagement agreement with Syria was no longer in effect, subsequently extending its control over additional Syrian territory. 

Netanyahu’s visit further strains the possibility of a peace settlement between Tel Aviv and Beirut. While Syria demands the complete return of the Golan Heights to the 1967 lines with no permanent Israeli military presence, Israel refuses to withdraw its forces without a “comprehensive peace agreement.” Reports suggest that the agreement includes the creation of a demilitarized zone spanning the southwest of Damascus up to the border with Israel, encompassing key Syrian territories.

3. Ceasefire violations and mounting pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah 
Israel’s breaches of the November 2024 ceasefire risk complicating the Lebanese government’s efforts to pursue disarmament, as such actions may provoke Hezbollah into retaliatory strikes and undermine the prospects for peace. Lebanon is also facing rising external pressure to dismantle the group.  Hezbollah continues to insist that it will not begin decommissioning until Israeli forces fully withdraw from the south. Continued violations may lead the group to doubt the state’s capacity, prompting unilateral actions and potentially driving the escalating tensions into widespread violence between Hezbollah and Israel.

What does it mean?
In Gaza, the escalating hostilities undermine the scope of implementing or advancing the peace process. The increase in settler violence hints at growing civil unrest in Israel over the peace plan. Further, the lack of consensus on key aspects, including the debate on the expulsion or amnesty of Hamas members, the role of the Palestinian Authority, and the broader Palestinian statehood, undermines the possibility of a lasting peace.

In Syria, with the high-level visit to the demilitarized zone, Israel is underscoring its de facto control over the territories and the Golan Heights. Israel’s move comes after President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with President Trump, reflecting an attempt to leverage Syria’s growing closeness to Washington and to increase pressure for a comprehensive settlement.

In Lebanon, Israel’s persistent attacks to coerce compliance can potentially derail the disarmament efforts pursued by the government. The cycle of violence would likely continue as Israel refuses to withdraw forces without Hezbollah’s disarmament, while the group also remains steadfast in its demands for Israeli withdrawal before disarmament. 

About the author
Brighty Ann Sarah is a postgraduate student at Stella Maris College, Chennai.

PREVIOUS COMMENTS

February 2026 | CWA # 1959

Yesasvi Koganti | Yesasvi Koganti is an undergraduate student from Madras Christian College, Chennai.

UK and China
February 2026 | CWA # 1957

R Preetha | R Preetha is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of International Studies, Stella Maris College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

The India–US interim trade framework
February 2026 | CWA # 1956

Lekshmi MK | Lekshmi MK is pursuing post-graduation in the Department of Political Science, Madras Christian College, Chennai, and is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru.

End of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1931

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
State of Global Politics 2025
December 2025 | CWA # 1924

Padmashree Anandhan

NATO Summit 2025
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1801

R Preetha

28 August 1963
TWTW note
August 2025 | CWA # 1780

Abhiruchi Chowdhury

Trump tariffs:
This Week in History
August 2025 | CWA # 1778

Lekshmi MK

28 July 1914
TWTW Note
June 2025 | CWA # 1694

Aashish Ganeshan

The US:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1689

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1688

Ayan Datta

Gaza
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1675

Lekshmi MK

Turkey:
CW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1673

Padmashree Anandhan

Ukraine:
TWTW Note
May 2025 | CWA # 1667

R Preetha and Brighty Ann Sarah

East Asia:
NIAS Global Politics Database
March 2024 | CWA # 1251

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
NIAS Global Politics Database
February 2024 | CWA # 1226

NIAS Africa Team

Africa This Week
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1189

Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.

Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1187

Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.

Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1185

Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1183

Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.

Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1178

​​​​​​​Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.

China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
The World This Year
December 2023 | CWA # 1177

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.

China and East Asia
The War in Ukraine
October 2023 | CWA # 1091

Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri

Issues for Europe
IPRI Quarterly Forecasts I Triggers, Trends, and Trajectories
July 2023 | CWA # 1012

Bibhu Prasad Routray

Myanmar continues to burn
2022: The World This Year
December 2022 | CWA # 879

Padmashree Anandhan

The Ukraine War
Europe: Heatwaves, Wildfires, Droughts, and Ice Melt in Alps
November 2022 | CWA # 838

Rishma Banerjee

Tracing Europe's droughts
NIAS Africa Weekly
March 2022 | CWA # 705

NIAS Africa Team

In Focus: Libya
The World This Week: 150th Issue
December 2021 | CWA # 630

GP Team

Europe in 2021
Pakistan Reader
October 2021 | CWA # 588

Abigail Miriam Fernandez

TLP is back again
NIAS Fortnightly on Science, Technology & International Relations
August 2021 | CWA # 528

STIR Team

Space Tourism
Science, Technology and International Relations
September 2019 | CWA # 162

Lakshman Chakravarthy N

5G: A Primer
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 71

Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu

Nepal
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 70

Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

The Maldives
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 69

Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

India
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 68

Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Bangladesh
South Asia Monthly Brief (Nov 2018)
December 2018 | CWA # 67

Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS

Afghanistan