In Jewish history, there were two states: one in Yemen and another in part of Palestine. What the Zionists established in a larger portion of Palestine in 1948 is what they now call the “Third Israel.” The first two did not survive beyond 80 years. Today, Zionist leaders fear the same fate may befall their current project — that this “Third Israel,” now in its seventy-seventh autumn, may not reach its eightieth birthday in the next three years.
It is this fear that drives extremist leaders, foremost among them Benjamin Netanyahu, to hasten the implementation of their biblical myths and expansionist schemes before the inevitable collapse.
Gaza, Jerusalem, and the West Bank
The chosen sites for this accelerated expansion are Gaza, South Lebanon, and South Syria. In Gaza, Israel is waging a war of genocide: starvation, forced displacement, destruction, and military domination over the entire Strip, alongside settlement expansion into the West Bank — particularly the areas surrounding Jerusalem — in preparation for what Tel Aviv calls “the challenges of the day after.”
As part of this plan, Israel seeks to impose a buffer zone in northern Gaza, stretching from its border deep into the outskirts of Gaza City east and west. In the south, it aims to transform the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian Sinai border into another buffer zone reaching the sea.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army’s Civil Administration recently approved a settlement plan in the E1 area east of Jerusalem, authorising the construction of more than 6,990 housing units and new settlements. According to Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the goal is to “divide the West Bank and cut the connection between Ramallah and Bethlehem, burying once and for all the idea of a Palestinian state.”
Settlement expert Khalil Tafakji outlined the implications (as reported by al-Akhbar, 22 August 2025):
- Complete closure of East Jerusalem to prevent it from ever serving as the capital of a Palestinian state.
- Establishment of “Greater Jerusalem” as envisioned by Israel, amounting to 10% of the entire West Bank.
- Permanent separation of the northern and southern West Bank.
At the same time, settlers led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir continue storming Al-Aqsa Mosque daily, with the number of incursions reaching 38,875 between January and early August. These raids, accompanied by overtly Torah-based rituals, are designed to establish what Zionists call the “spiritual foundation of the Temple,” in other words, the full takeover of Al-Aqsa Mosque — just as they did with the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.
Southern Lebanon: Destruction and Displacement
In South Lebanon, Israel has adopted a strategy of progressive destruction, depopulation, and occupation of strategic sites, particularly those overlooking the areas south of the Litani River.
The Israeli army has razed all towns and villages along the border, from Naqoura in the west to Shebaa in the east. Residents have been barred from returning even after the 27 November 2024 ceasefire agreement. Military flyers and maps dropped by Israeli aircraft explicitly forbid locals from residing, rebuilding, or even roaming in their destroyed lands.
Yet Israel is not acting alone. The United States has rushed to help beautify the occupation. According to a report by Axios, close advisers to the White House are sponsoring a plan for a buffer zone along the Lebanese–Palestinian border, emptied of its population and redeveloped into factories, hotels, and leisure projects resembling a “Riviera” — echoing Donald Trump’s earlier proposal for Gaza’s coastline.
This plan, reportedly negotiated by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, represents the furthest “concession” Israel was willing to offer to entice the Lebanese government into advancing its decision to restrict weapons exclusively to the Lebanese army.
But supporters of the resistance, led by Hezbollah, insist on a different sequence: Israel must first withdraw from occupied Lebanese land and halt its daily air and ground aggressions. Only then, and gradually, would any discussion of arms transfer to the state be considered. Should the Axios report prove accurate, resistance forces are expected to reject the proposal outright — even if Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government were to accept the so-called “Riviera project.”
South Syria: Occupation and Bargaining
Israel’s buffer zone strategy does not stop at Gaza and Lebanon. It extends into southern Syria, where Israel occupies at least one-fifth of Syrian territory.
Although the U.S. recently removed transitional president Ahmad al-Sharaa from its terrorist list and is pushing to ease the two-decade economic blockade, Damascus still demands a full Israeli withdrawal from the south.
Reports circulating in Washington, Paris, London, and at the UN in New York suggest that Israel is signalling willingness to withdraw its forces — but only if Syria enters U.S.-sponsored negotiations leading to a treaty modelled after the accords with Egypt and Jordan. Israel’s demands would include:
- Expanded control in the occupied Golan Heights
- A share of water from the Yarmouk River Basin
- A permanent buffer zone in Quneitra province, bordering rural Damascus
A Regional Question, Not a Local One
The looming question remains: Are Israel’s buffer zones along the borders of Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria merely domestic matters for each of these states? Or are they truly Arab and regional threats of the highest order?
