The US and Israel must resist the temptation to micromanage Gaza – opinion

The formula is simple: keep Gaza out of the headlines through quiet, disciplined operations while driving diplomatic and economic engagement across the region.

By Eric Navarro, The Middle East Forum

As reports emerge of Hamas violating the Gaza ceasefire, doubts about the agreement’s durability grow.

Israel has already retaliated with airstrikes and kept the Rafah crossing closed until Hamas completes Phase I of the agreement by returning all the remains of Israeli hostages.

Even as bodies are returned, Hamas refuses to disarm, in violation of Phase II of the agreement. Instead, the group uses its weapons to execute rival Palestinians and reassert its control.

American and Israeli strategists should resist the temptation to micromanage Gaza’s daily developments, even if they cannot ignore them.

Their real priority should be to focus on the broader strategic framework President Donald Trump has set in motion to reshape the Middle East.

The plight of the Palestinians no longer should be an obstacle to progress. The real opportunity lies in engaging Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and other Arab and Muslim nations open to reconciliation with the United States, Israel, and Western allies.

Their strategic goal is clear: build a new Middle East paradigm in which the United States, Israel, and Sunni Arab states align and cooperate.

That vision serves several purposes. First, it reduces the risk of conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Second, it strengthens the regional security framework needed to counter Iran’s ambitions.

Third, it continues Trump’s drive to expand connectivity between the West and reform-minded Middle Eastern nations seeking economic diversification and improved living standards for citizens.

As a second-order effect, this economic interdependence can weaken extremist movements by undercutting the conditions that fuel radical recruitment.

Beyond these ends, the grand strategic purpose of this new alignment extends even further.

It blunts and pushes back China’s and Russia’s attempted encroachment in the region.

Coupled with the U.S. strike on Fordow, in support of Israel’s Twelve-Day War with Iran, the Trump administration can reinforce its commitment to a “Peace through Strength” guiding principle that continues to bear fruit in its foreign policy efforts.

By formalizing alliances with key Arab powers, the United States can expand its influence, enhance global power projection, and force its great-power rivals into a defensive posture.

Executing this strategy requires balance between tactical actions and strategic goals.

Israel, with U.S. backing, should strike Hamas covertly and without public acknowledgment.

Jerusalem should also aid anti-Hamas clans trying to reclaim control of Gaza. That support can include air cover, intelligence on Hamas positions, and limited matériel assistance.

The aim is to sustain operational pressure on Hamas while keeping global attention focused elsewhere.

Ultimately, these covert operations can create the space necessary for strategic initiatives to advance.

On the diplomatic front, the Trump administration should launch its initiative with Saudi Arabia and other regional partners to build an Abraham Accords 2.0.

This effort should unfold through presidential social media posts, high-level conferences, bilateral meetings, and media engagement across both Western and Arab outlets.

The administration should pair this diplomatic push with investment and trade agreements similar to those Trump secured during his first regional tour.

Each development will reinforce the next, creating a self-sustaining cycle of progress that reshapes perceptions and realities across the Middle East.

The formula is simple: keep Gaza out of the headlines through quiet, disciplined operations while driving diplomatic and economic engagement across the region.

Together, these moves will sustain the momentum built by the ceasefire agreement and demonstrate that American-led strategy, not reactive tactics, defines the path forward.

The Middle East recognizes Trump as a credible broker. His administration now has an opportunity to solidify a new regional order against common threats.

To seize it, Washington and Jerusalem must think strategically, act quietly, and resist every temptation to get lost in Gaza’s daily battles