Washington: The Hidden Decision-Maker in Gaza’s Equation – How the Sector Became a Hostage to the White House’s Will

Recent Israeli and Arab reports indicate an unprecedented escalation in the quality and volume of the US role in decisions concerning the Gaza Strip. Today, the fate and future of the sector are entirely bound to the directives from the White House, specifically the Trump administration.

According to Israel’s “Maariv” newspaper, Israel is now refraining from wide-scale military actions in Gaza without prior coordination and approval from Washington. Delays in responding to security incidents in Rafah were due to political leaders’ fears of jeopardizing the ceasefire and angering the US administration. Israel’s military response was thus limited to targeted strikes, despite original plans that involved around 100 fighter jets—a clear sign of Tel Aviv’s compliance with America’s wishes.

The daily “Yedioth Ahronoth” also confirms: any new military operation in Rafah or elsewhere cannot occur without a green light from Washington, which now imposes stringent field control on both parties by coordinating with mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey.

It’s not just about military operations; “Israel Hayom” reported frustration among Israeli security officials due to US interference, especially in humanitarian aid decisions. One official admitted that any move that contradicts US wishes is immediately cancelled, and that Israel has, for all intents and purposes, lost its sovereign decision-making powers in the sector due to strict US restrictions.

Amid these developments, the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile, requiring the ongoing blessing of the American presidency. While escalation persists, Trump declared that the truce still holds, blaming “rebels within Hamas” and stressing the need for calm and for mediation to continue.

These transformations reveal that Gaza has effectively become a battlefield for joint American-Israeli management, where major decisions emanate from Washington and are implemented in Tel Aviv, with noticeable decline in the authority of both Israeli local decision-makers and even key regional mediators.

Key Points:

Gaza’s fate is now completely in US hands, politically and militarily.

Israeli decisions on Gaza require prior approval from the White House.

Israeli security establishment is frustrated by deep US intervention.

Ceasefire is tenuous and persists only with continued American and regional mediation.

Knowing who truly pulls the strings in Gaza demonstrates the complexity of the regional scene and the entwined interests shaping the region’s future.