Netanyahu Threatens to Escalate War In Gaza

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Netanyahu Threatens to Escalate War In Gaza" What A Day by Crooked Media
Release Date: May 6, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of What A Day, host Josie Duffy Rice delves into the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza, focusing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent declaration to intensify military action. Alongside this primary topic, the episode also touches on significant U.S. political developments, including President Donald Trump's controversial immigration and entertainment policies.

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Israel's Escalation in Gaza

Netanyahu's Announcement

At the outset, Josie introduces the central issue: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of a "forceful entry to Gaza." This declaration comes amidst a broader strategy approved by Israel's security cabinet to seize and indefinitely occupy the Gaza Strip.

Key Quote:

Benjamin Netanyahu (01:07): "We decided to take intensified action in Gaza... We are not letting up on this effort and we will not give up on anyone."

Implications of the Military Plan

Netanyahu's plan involves relocating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to Gaza's southern region and mobilizing tens of thousands of reserve soldiers, signaling a significant military escalation. This strategy aims not only to defeat Hamas but also ostensibly to rescue hostages.

Key Quote:

Josie Duffy Rice (02:23): "Netanyahu's words, not mine, would be a massive escalation in a war that has already caused enormous destruction and death and displaced more than 90% of Gaza's population."

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Expert Analysis: Interview with Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib

To provide deeper insights, Josie converses with Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib, a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and head of the Realign for Palestine Project.

Pressure Tactic vs. Operational Plan

Ahmed discusses two potential interpretations of Israel's intensified actions:

1. Pressure Tactic: Aimed at influencing upcoming U.S. President Trump's visit and urging moderate Arab states to intervene, as well as pressing Hamas for a ceasefire.
2. Operational Plan: A genuine intention to reoccupy Gaza, which would require substantial military resources and pose significant logistical challenges.

Key Quote:

Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib (02:49): "Perhaps this is an attempt to pressure the Arab states into avoiding a scenario of full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip... or this could be a serious plan in which the Israeli government is truly intending to reoccupy the Gaza Strip with all the challenges that that presents."

Humanitarian Consequences

The proposed occupation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, with Gaza already facing severe shortages of food, medicine, and basic necessities due to the blockade. Ahmed expresses skepticism about the feasibility of establishing the promised "humanitarian bubble" within the proposed timeframe.

Key Quote:

Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib (06:50): "There's nothing on the ground right now, per available satellite imagery. And so that's going to be a difficult challenge to tackle."

Ceasefire Talks and Their Challenges

Ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, primarily because of conflicting objectives between Israel and Hamas. Israel aims to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities and governance, while Hamas clings to the ceasefire as a means to retain control and safeguard its interests.

Key Quote:

Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib (10:21): "Hamas sees the remaining hostages and the ceasefire as the only mechanism through which it can ensure its own survival as a governance body in the Gaza Strip."

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Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

With Israel blocking all humanitarian aid, Gaza is teetering on the brink of widespread famine. Ahmed highlights the dire situation, noting the collapse of law and order and the emergence of criminal activities amid the scarcity of resources.

Key Quote:

Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib (08:53): "The complete blockade and siege has effectively amounted to a policy of collective punishment... The Palestinian people deserve a state and dignity and freedom."

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U.S. Political Developments

President Trump's Immigration Policy

President Trump announced a controversial program offering undocumented migrants $1,000 to voluntarily self-deport, aiming to reduce the financial burden of deportations.

Key Quote:

Donald Trump (17:53): "What we thought we'd do is a self deport where we're going to pay each one a certain amount of money and we're going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from."

Legal Challenges

New York Attorney General Letitia James leads a lawsuit against the Trump administration for dismantling the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), citing catastrophic impacts on public health and safety.

Key Quote:

Letitia James (19:05): "These actions are dangerous, cruel and illegal."

Tariffs on Foreign Movies

In a surprising move, President Trump proposed a 100% tariff on all foreign-produced movies to protect and revitalize Hollywood, citing competition from international filmmakers.

Key Quote:

Donald Trump (20:31): "Hollywood is being destroyed... if they're not willing to make a movie inside the United States, then we should have a tariff on movies that come in."

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Conclusion

The episode underscores the complexity and severity of the Israel-Gaza conflict, highlighting the potential for further escalation and the devastating humanitarian impact. Concurrently, it sheds light on significant domestic policies in the U.S. under the Trump administration, reflecting deep political divisions and far-reaching implications for both international relations and internal governance.

Key Takeaways:

• Netanyahu's announcement marks a potential turning point in the Israel-Gaza conflict, with significant military and humanitarian repercussions.
• The U.S. political landscape remains tumultuous, with Trump's immigration and entertainment policies provoking legal and public backlash.
• The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, raising urgent concerns about the well-being of its civilian population.

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This summary captures the essential discussions and insights from the May 6, 2025, episode of What A Day. For a more comprehensive understanding, listening to the full episode is recommended.

Transcript

[Josie Duffy Rice]

It's Tuesday, May 6th. I'm Josie Duffy Rice in for Jane Coston. And this is what a Day, the show that is obsessed with all the looks from the Met gala. Last night the theme was superfine tailoring, black style, Debbie Allen, Colman Domingo. You're perfect. Never change. On today's show, the White House wants to pay undocumented migrants $1,000 to voluntarily self deport. And President Trump wants to extend his love of tariffs to Hollywood. But let's start with Israel's war in Gaza. On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel was, quote, on the eve of a forceful entry to Gaza. His announcement came just hours after his security cabinet approved a plan to seize the Gaza Strip and occupy the territory indefinitely. Netanyahu made the announcement in a video posted to social media. Here he is interpreted by Sky News.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

We decided to take intensified action in Gaza. That was the chief of staff's recommendation to move, as he said, toward the defeat of Hamas. He believes this will also help us rescue the hostages. And I agree with him. We are not letting up on this effort and we will not give up on anyone.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

Not at all sure how occupying Gaza indefinitely is helping the hostages. The Israeli plan also calls for moving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to Gaza's southern region. The Israel Defense Forces, or idf, is also calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers. This attempt to conquer Gaza, Netanyahu's words, not mine, would be a massive escalation in a war that has already caused enormous destruction and death and displaced more than 90% of Gaza's population. Currently, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and aid organizations have warned that the area is on the verge of widespread famine. So for more on Israel's escalation in Gaza and what it means, I spoke with Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib. He's a resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council where he heads the Realign for Palestine Project. He's also originally from Gaza. He joined us Tuesday from the airport in Los Angeles. Ahmed, welcome to what a day.

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Thanks for having me.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

So Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel was, quote, on the eve of a forceful entry to Gaza. And his security cabinet also okayed a plan to take and hold the entire Gaza Strip for an unspecified amount of time. The army has also called up tens of thousands of reservist troops. What does this mean for the people living in Gaza? What does this change about, you know, the war thus far?

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Well, I think there are two ways to read into this. The first is potentially A message as a pressure tactic, if you will. We know that President Trump of the United States is going to visit the region on May 13, and that will entail speaking with moderate Arab Sunni states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates. And so perhaps this is an attempt to pressure the Arab states into avoiding a scenario of full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, pressuring Hamas itself into understanding that Israel means business and that this is the final opportunity to reach a ceasefire that entails the release of the hostages, the terror group stepping down from ruling the Gaza Strip, and the beginning of some sort of an alternative governance structure. On the other hand, this very much so could be a serious plan in which the Israeli government is truly intending to reoccupy the Gaza Strip with all the challenges that that presents. You have how many troops are you going to need to actually be able to hold entire chunks of the coastal enclave? We know that there are Israeli reservists who haven't been really reporting for duty. There are folks who are frustrated by the government and Mr. Netanyahu. We know that there's concern about the fate of the remaining hostages, at least the 24 who are believed to still be alive. So those are questions that are going to come up as we explore the two possibilities of is this a negotiation tactic or is this a real operational plan with all the strategic, tactical and geopolitical implications that it entails?

[Josie Duffy Rice]

How would an occupation be an escalation of what we've seen since October of 2023? I think from afar, it already sort of seems like we've been seeing an Israeli occupation of Gaza for months.

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Well, this. If the Israeli military and government were to proceed with this operation, this would be a massive escalation and a game changer, really, currently, as is. And my brother runs a major medical, international medical NGO in the Gaza Strip. I have other folks on the ground, some of my surviving family, and several contacts. There are parts of Gaza that are not directly occupied by Israeli ground troops. There are parts of Gaza where the Palestinian people are able to move relatively freely. And so all of that would fundamentally change if you have a direct thrust by the Israeli military. So that would entail the relocation of large numbers, millions of people potentially, and even those in the south. They would be concentrated in an area that the IDF is trying to establish as a humanitarian bubble, is what the term they're labeling. This would also potentially entail, as what we've heard from the IDF chief of staff, the complete destruction of everything above ground, all infrastructure above ground, per his own words. So it would be a significant escalation. Now, the Israeli military currently does control roughly a quarter to a third of Gaza's territory, but most of these are stationed around Gaza's borders with Israel, with a couple of corridors that bisect the Strip into three areas.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

You mentioned this plan to move tens of thousands of Palestinians to the south. In this humanitarian bubble, what infrastructure has even left in the south of Gaza to house and care for people? In this quote, unquote, humanitarian bubble, does that infrastructure still exist? And what would it be like for people who are in this southern area of Gaza?

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Well, this is precisely what's most concerning about this development, is that thus far, all that has been presented remains very nebulous, very theoretical frameworks for how this would work. It has not been well articulated as to specifics. We've seen the IDF raze entire neighborhoods of what was once the city of Rafah that has been entirely destroyed. And now you have these areas that are entirely cleared. And I think we're talking about potentially setting up everything from scratch in the form of tents, in the form of distribution centers. But still you have nothing on the ground right now, per available satellite imagery. And so that's going to be a difficult challenge to tackle. How are you going to get this infrastructure ready in time? President Trump is supposed to be in the Middle east on May 13. His visit is expected to last a few. And the Israeli government has announced that it will begin this expanded military operation after he leaves. So we're talking about less than two weeks, potentially to get this infrastructure in place, something that is highly unlikely. Meanwhile, we already have a horrendous situation where outright famine, like conditions have set in parts of Gaza. There's an unequal distribution of what little food that remains there, giving rise to criminal gangs, to looting by remnants of Hamas. We've seen the complete collapse of law and order. I don't think the people of Gaza have two weeks left to really weather what has been the most horrendous chapter since October 7th in terms of the humanitarian suffering.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

I'd like to just talk about that a little bit more briefly because I think this, the fact that Israel has barred humanitarian aid into Gaza. How are people surviving? What. What is going on in Gaza right now, given that there's no aid able to. To come in?

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

So the complete blockade and siege has effectively amounted to a policy of collective punishment, unfortunately, whereby, yes, it is pressuring Hamas, but it's also pressuring the. The people of Gaza who are stuck paying for a sin that they did not commit. And a war that they are powerless to stop. So it's an untenable situation. I met personally with senior Israeli, current and former military officials and government officials, and I received repeated assurances that we understand it would be a war crime and an unethical decision to allow famine to set in. But we believe, and this was as of two weeks ago, what I was told is we believe that Gaza has one month before actual famine sets in. And I argued with some and said I don't believe those assessments are correct, but there's a recognition that this is in fact a strategy to pressure Hamas, while also acknowledging that they're going to squeeze to the very last minute before mass widespread hunger spreads and then they're going to allow the spigot to be reopened. Something that I have called out as being really inconsistent with international humanitarian law that prohibits the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

Right. I wonder, in this moment, where things are with the ceasefire. Can you tell us a little bit about where those talks are and why they stalled? If you can remind us why they stalled.

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Well, the very accepted explanation is that the Israeli government chose not to proceed to the second phase of the ceasefire. However, where things stand right now and where I think there's a misalignment, is that the Israeli government wants to ensure that the terror group can no longer rearm, re. Establish itself to pose a threat to Israel, reassert control over Gaza, remain in charge of governance. On the other hand, Hamas sees the remaining hostages and the ceasefire as the only mechanism through which it can ensure its own survival as a governance body in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has said that it would potentially let go of direct governance and allow a technocratic committee. Those amount to nothing more than empty declarations that would create a Hezbollah like model in Lebanon whereby Hezbollah reigned, but it didn't govern directly. So it's a really tragic situation in which once again, the innocent, uninvolved people of Gaza, who are the majority of what remains, the women, the children, are paying the ultimate price for a sin they didn't commit.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

You mentioned how Netanyahu and his government have not really shown interest in trying to stop this conflict. Right. And Trump has mostly allowed Netanyahu to conduct the war as he wants. Is there any reason to think that this administration would try to prevent a full scale capture and occupation of the Strip by Israeli power?

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Initially, I did believe, and I still have reason to believe, that the Trump administration is indeed interested in calming things down in the Middle east for the sake of pursuing the ultimate deal which is Saudi Israeli normalization, not just because Mr. Trump sees himself as wanting to be a peacemaker, but because such a deal is going to generate immense economic potential for American enterprise, American capitalism, and all sorts of international interests. So I hope that President Trump is going to pressure both moderate Arab countries into taking a stance against Hamas and saying, you have got to go. There is no future for Gaza and Palestine with you in charge. Similarly, that he would do something similar with Mr. Netanyahu and the Israeli government, which relies on US support to say, enough. We cannot go on. We cannot go on with perpetual conflict and simply managing the conflict. The Palestinian people deserve a state and dignity and freedom, even as Israel has every right to exist in safety, security and to be a safe home and a safe place for the Jewish people. The two things can exist concurrently. They do not have to be in perpetual opposition to one another.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

Ahmed, thank you so much for joining us.

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Thank you for having me.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

That was my conversation with Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib, a resident Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council where he heads the Realign for Palestine Project. We'll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube and share with your friends. More to come after some ads.

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[Josie Duffy Rice]

Want to pull.

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[Josie Duffy Rice]

Here's what else we're following today.

[Ahmed Fouad Al Khatib]

Head of Lines.

[Donald Trump]

What we thought we'd do is a self deport where we're going to pay each one a certain amount of money and we're going to get them a beautiful flight back to where they came from.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

In the Oval Office on Monday, the President spoke to the press about his administration's offer to give undocumented immigrants in the US $1,000 and assist with travel costs if they voluntarily self deport. The Department of Homeland Security announced the program in a statement on Monday, directing migrants to use the custom border protections app cbp home to submit their intent to depart to the government. The government says those who do so will be, quote, deprioritized for detention and removal by immigration authorities and the $1,000 stipend will be paid out once they return to their home country. Even though the government would essentially be paying migrants to leave, DHS says the new program is expected to lower the cost of individual deportations. The department says it costs over $17,000 on average to arrest, detain and remove someone without legal status. DHS said one migrant has already used the new program to secure a flight from Chicago to Honduras and that more plane tickets have been booked for this week and next.

[Letitia James]

This is not how government is supposed to work. These actions are dangerous, cruel and illegal.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

A coalition of 19 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration Monday over its gutting of the Department of Health and Human Services. New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading the lawsuit.

[Letitia James]

Since taking office, this administration has fired scientists, closed labs, shuttered life saving programs without rhyme, reason or any legal authority. Nothing but devastating consequences for millions of Americans. This is not government reform.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Announced a major restructuring of the department earlier this year to, quote, make America healthy again. The department said it would cut around 20,000 jobs and shut down entire agencies as part of that initiative. The lawsuit alleges that the cuts have led to the shuttering of key disease testing labs and made it harder for states to access grants for crucial public programs. James and her fellow plaintiffs are asking a federal judge to reverse the department's mass layoffs and block Kennedy's restructuring of hhs. An HHS spokesperson responded to the lawsuit in a statement Monday saying that the department, quote, remains confident that the process will withstand legal scrutiny, looks forward to a resolution that reflects the facts and the law.

[Donald Trump]

I'm not just blaming other nations, but other nations. A lot of them have stolen our moving and I'm saying if they're not willing to make a movie inside the United States, then we should have a tariff on movies that Come in.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

Hollywood is being destroyed. That's a direct quote from President Donald Trump, elaborating on the White House lawn about his plan to tariff movies produced outside the U.S. you're probably wondering how we got here. On Sunday, Trump said in a truth social post, the US Film industry is dying because of incentives that draw filmmakers abroad. He said he's authorizing, quote, the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to immediately begin the process of instituting an 100% tariff on any and all movies coming into our country that are produced in foreign lands. You're hearing it, you're not seeing it. So you can't see all the random capitalization that happened in his true social post. But believe me, it's there. If you're wondering how this will work, the White House does not appear to have a plan yet. In an email statement on Monday, a spokesperson said they're, quote, exploring all options to deliver on President Trump's directive to safeguard our country's national and economic security while making Hollywood great again. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday he just wants to help the industry.

[Donald Trump]

So we're going to meet with the industry. I want to make sure they're happy with it because we're all about jobs. That's all. What I'm, you know, it's very important. It's a big industry, but it's an industry now that's, it's really left. It's abandoned the usa where it started. And we'll get it. We'll get it back.

[Josie Duffy Rice]

Maybe Trump will get it back. With the help of his dream team, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson. Trump appointed the actors earlier this year as special ambassadors to bring Hollywood, quote, back bigger, better and stronger than ever before. And the tense town halls continue. New York Republican Representative Mike Lawler faced a rowdy crowd at his town hall on Sunday night. Voters from Lawler's swing district question him about Trump administration policies as chants and boos erupted and multiple people in the crowd were removed by law enforcement. Lawler's town hall comes at a time of heightened tension between Republicans and the constituents they have to answer to about things like Doge tariffs in Ukraine, despite a registration requirement and a long list of guidelines. At one point during the event, when Lawler was discussing tariffs, law enforcement surrounded a woman in the crowd. In a video shared by ABC News, you can hear people chanting, let her stay, let her stay. Let her stay. You're gonna have to kick out everybody. The officers eventually picked the woman up and carried her out of the auditorium. She held up peace signs as they removed her but that was just another raucous night for Lawler. Last month he held a town hall where he was also heckled by constituents. And that's the news. Before we go Trans people are under attack by weirdos who think trans people shouldn't exist and billionaire sex pests should stand up for the trans community and a trans people have always existed T shirt or tote at the Crooked store. Show your defiance with a statement that isn't actually radical at all. Head to crooked.comstore to shop. That is all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, heckle your nearest Republican member of Congress at a town hall and tell your friends to listen. And if you are into reading and not just the paltry list of Republicans actually brave enough to even hold a town hall like me, what a Day is also a nightly newsletter, so check it out and [e-mail] subscribe I'm Josie Duffy Rice and it's fun to boo people.

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Water Day is a production of Crooked Media. It's recorded and mixed by Jesmyn Taylor. Our associate producer are Raven Yamamoto and Emily Foer. Our producer is Michelle Aloy. We had production help today from Johanna Case, Joseph Dutra, Greg Walters and Julia Claire. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison and our executive producer is Adrienne Hill. Our theme music is by Colin Gilliard and Kashaka. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.

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