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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

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.

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