With a green light from President Trump and no deterrent in sight — except for Yemen’s steadfast support front — Israel’s killing machine has resumed its genocide in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan, as desired by Benjamin Netanyahu, who is desperately trying to preserve his shaky ruling coalition committed to pursuing genocidal war in the besieged and starving Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israel continues its violations of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank, as it becomes clear that Trump’s promises to halt bloodshed and bring peace to the Middle East are nothing more than empty rhetoric and lies.

Instead, Trump has directly authorized airstrikes on Yemen to cut off its support for Gaza, allowing Israel to continue its slaughter of Palestinians under the “civilized” world’s watchful eye.

The ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel collapsed Tuesday morning when Israel launched Operation “Sword and Honor”, carrying out wide-scale airstrikes and committing dozens of new massacres that left more than 600 people martyred within four days. The renewed aggression was clearly given a green light by the U.S., under the pretext that Hamas refused the “surrender terms” presented by Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff. The White House had earlier falsely accused Hamas of stalling and making “completely unrealistic demands.”

Ahead of the renewed assault, Washington launched a punitive campaign against Yemen, which had decided to reopen the front of support for besieged Gaza in response to the ongoing blockade and starvation policies targeting its people. American warplanes rained down what Trump had threatened to be the “gates of hell”, using what he called “overwhelming lethal force” against Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in Yemen, while members of his administration issued further threats extending to Iran.

Despite intense U.S. bombardments over the weekend that killed dozens of Yemenis, hypersonic missiles continued to fire, making air raid sirens a daily routine again for millions of Israelis, as the U.S. Navy fleet stood helpless in the Red Sea, unable to intercept them.

As the U.S. becomes directly involved and political and social turmoil intensifies in Israel — especially regarding efforts to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and maintain the ruling coalition ahead of the upcoming budget deadline — Netanyahu saw an opportunity to appease his far-right allies by resuming the war on Gaza and dragging Washington into a possible confrontation with Iran, which he blames for supporting the Houthis.

It is increasingly clear that Israel’s renewed military escalation was fully coordinated with the U.S., and perhaps even encouraged by it. Just hours before the airstrikes, the Trump administration issued direct threats to Hamas, warning it would pay a “heavy price” if it did not soften its stance — reflecting a clear strategic alignment between the U.S. and Israel to use military force as leverage.

In response, Hamas fired a rocket barrage at Tel Aviv, its first in months. Meanwhile, Ansar Allah retaliated against the U.S. strikes by targeting the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman and its accompanying vessels, and launched missiles toward the heart of occupied Palestine.

“Yemeni and Gazan rockets intersected in the skies over Tel Aviv,” said Abu Obeida, spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades.

Israel’s military operations in Gaza are part of a multi-faceted strategy aimed at pressuring Hamas into accepting Witkoff’s plan for a prisoner exchange and ceasefire. The approach relies on intense airstrikes, targeting infrastructure and leadership, and psychological warfare aimed at displacing civilians.

“Hamas has a clear choice — it can inform mediators within 10 minutes of its willingness to negotiate under Witkoff’s plan,” a senior official said, according to Israeli media. “If it does, our operation’s goal is achieved. If not, we escalate to the next phase.”

With the Israeli army unprepared for a large-scale ground invasion due to shortages in manpower — especially as reservists refuse to rejoin their units — the military depends heavily on air power and limited ground incursions. Israeli military sources revealed that troop shortages are hampering any sustained ground operation.

Renewed aggression on Gaza

Hamas accused Netanyahu of using the war on Gaza as a “lifeline” amid political crises, even at the cost of sacrificing Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza. The renewed assault already resulted in the death of one hostage and injuries to two others.

To contain public outrage, which saw thousands protest and block streets near Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, the prime minister claimed negotiations on hostages would continue “under fire.” He also suggested that the intense bombing campaign — the most severe since the fragile ceasefire on January 19 — offered Hamas a choice: extend the first phase of the deal or face war.

However, it’s clear Netanyahu’s political motives include restabilizing his coalition and appeasing Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the extremist Jewish Power party, while also pushing for the removal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Bar, like former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and other senior military officials, had called for a political investigation into the failure to anticipate Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu hopes that restarting the war will help him pass the budget, evade accountability and return to pursuing judicial reforms that reduce the power of the Supreme Court — a key demand of his far-right coalition. Notably, Netanyahu resumed military escalation on the very day he was scheduled to testify in court for corruption charges.

Humanitarian crisis in Gaza

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, with civilians enduring horrific conditions. Israeli forces have targeted homes, shelters and refugee tents over four consecutive days. On Thursday, Israel launched new ground operations in Gaza to “expand the defensive buffer zone” between the north and south.

Movement across Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south route, has been prohibited, with access limited only to al-Rashid Road.

In response, al-Qassam Brigades fired a barrage of M90 missiles at Tel Aviv, causing flight operations at Ben Gurion Airport to be suspended. The group stated the strike was retaliation for “Zionist massacres against civilians.”

Abu Obeida called on regional forces to renew support for Gaza, as the death toll surpassed 500 since the new assault began.

Yemen’s armed forces also launched missiles into Israel “in support of the oppressed Palestinian people,” according to spokesman Yahya Saree, who warned of an expanded campaign unless the Gaza offensive stops. Yemen previously announced it had targeted Ben Gurion Airport and Nevatim Airbase.

U.S. launches “Hellish” war on Yemen

Daily Yemeni attacks on Israel followed unprecedented U.S. airstrikes on Yemen last week, fulfilling Trump’s threat to “open the gates of hell.” The bombings killed dozens and caused widespread destruction.

Starting last Saturday, U.S. warplanes launched massive airstrikes across eight provinces, targeting homes, farms and small industrial facilities, especially in Sanaa and Saada.

Yemen’s military responded with a “precision operation”, launching 18 ballistic and cruise missiles and a drone at the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman and its fleet in the northern Red Sea.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi threatened to block U.S. shipping in the Red and Arabian Seas.

“Sanaa will thwart the aggression and prevent it from achieving any of its objectives,” he said. “The only solution is to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.”

The Houthis declared on March 11 that they would resume banning Israeli vessels from passing through Red Sea waters after their deadline for Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza expired.

Trump responded by threatening to unleash “devastating lethal force” on Houthi bases.

“I’ve ordered the U.S. military to launch a decisive operation against Houthi terrorists,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.  “…We will not tolerate attacks on U.S. ships. If the Houthis don’t stop, we will rain down hell on them like never before.”

National Security Advisor Michael Waltz claimed the strikes killed “several Houthi leaders”, but no names were disclosed.

Trump also warned Iran not to support the Houthis.

“Don’t threaten the American people or its president,” he warned. “… If you do, the U.S. will hold you fully accountable.”

Iran responded by rejecting U.S. interference.

“The U.S. has no right to dictate our foreign policy,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

“Iran will not initiate war, but will respond decisively to any threat,” IRGC Commander Hossein Salami warned.

Lebanon caught between two fires

Border clashes between Lebanon and Syria over the weekend added another layer of tension amid ongoing Israeli strikes on both countries. Arab and international media outlets rushed to implicate Hezbollah, further inflaming tensions along the northeastern border.

To contain the fighting — which killed dozens from both the Syrian army and Lebanese tribes in the Hermel region — Lebanese army units were deployed to restore calm after Syria retrieved the bodies of three soldiers killed near the Qasr area.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense accused Hezbollah fighters of crossing into Homs province and killing the soldiers, though Hezbollah denied any involvement, reiterating its stance of non-intervention in Syria’s internal affairs.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a clash began with Lebanese tribesmen stabbing a Syrian soldier, which escalated into a retaliatory ambush where several Syrian troops were killed, including one stoned to death.

Lebanese towns came under artillery fire from Syria, prompting retaliatory strikes from Lebanese military units, which regained control over Housh al-Sayyid Ali, a border town reportedly looted by Syrian fighters.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun ordered the military to respond to any cross-border fire, declaring the situation unacceptable.

Meanwhile, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Syria continued, killing and injuring civilians in multiple airstrikes throughout the week.