TARIQ LODHI

1. On 20-Feb-2025, the newswires went buzzing with reports of explosions in Tel Aviv, ostensibly on several buses in separate locations, though no causality was reported.  As the initial confusion subsided, it was revealed that three IEDs exploded on at least (03) buses in bus parking areas of Bat Yam and Holon, in Tel Aviv.  Channel-13 TV reported that IEDs had been planted on five (05) buses[1], of which three IED exploded, while two were defused, and no loss of life was reported.  According to the security officials, the explosions were caused by indigenously manufactured timer-fitted IEDs, which were composed of Fertilizer and Urea instead of usual High-Explosives or Plastics, and weighed about 05-kg each.   The timer on the IEDs was set to explode next morning at about 09:00 hours, on 21-Feb-2025, when maximum passengers were expected on board.  According to the experts, these devices were crudely manufactured, home-made-ones, widely used in such terrorist or sabotage activity, though, Israeli security claims that these are similar to the IEDs made in West Bank.  The Israeli sources insist that it was probably an error in setting the timer by the perpetrators, that led to premature detonations of the IEDs.  It was also reported that one IED, concealed in a package, lying in one of the buses, was noticed by a passenger who reported it to the driver, who then drove the bus to the terminal’s parking, and after inspecting it, instructed the passengers to off-load.  As soon as the passengers had off-loaded and gone to a safe distance, the IED exploded, setting the bus on fire.  No details were available about the circumstances in which the other two buses were sabotaged.  Two IEDs were defused by the Security staff in two separate buses.  There were no reports of any injury or death due to these explosions.  Pictures of a third bus caught in flames were also circulated on the social media, and is believed to have been destroyed in similar manner, and about at the same time. 
2. Though, there was no claim of responsibility by any group, the local media reported that when one of the unexploded IED was disarmed, a note attached to it was found that claimed that it was a revenge ostensibly by Hamas’s Tulkarem Battalion, believed to be based in one of the Refugee Camps in the West Bank.  Some other media outlets also alluded towards the Tulkarem Battalion, by attributing to the battalion’s earlier statement that used ambiguous words to the effect that “… this is a jihad of victory or martyrdom” without referring to any attack or incident[2].
3. To ramp up its narrative about terrorists operating in Tulkarm Refugee Camp, Israel has laid at the door-steps of West Bank Palestinians, the recent seizure of two arms smuggling consignments comprising about 40 firearms which were intercepted under a clandestine operation in the Negev region.  The operation which was conducted with the help of police and Shin Bet, points towards networks which connect the activities with the territories of Judea and Samaria refugee camps. Israeli media has displayed the photographs with Palestinian logos in the background linking it firmly with the Palestinians while as a known propaganda tactics has avoided clearly accusing them.  This arms haul compliments the narrative of the IED explosion on the buses in Tel Aviv[3].  So far, since the commencement of the Operation Iron Wall, more than 60-Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, while more than 365-Palestinians have been arrested, while more than 40,000 have been displaced from the camps. Atleast 12,000 Palestinians have been forcefully from Tulkarm Refugee Camp, as the Israeli tanks had begun rolling in it in aftermath of the IED explosions on the buses. 
4. Israeli security further pointed their suspicions towards presence of unidentified militants in thickly populated refugee camps in Samaria and Judea areas of the West Bank, that would subsequently be substantiated for the international audience with the recovery of arms from Negev.  The Shin Bet has further alleged that there are clear signs of Iranian support to the cells in Samaria, who has not only been financing these cells, but has also been supplying weapons and providing terrorist-training for carrying-out attacks and manufacturing IEDs[4]. 
5. In this dark alley of Hybrid Warfare, since all clandestine cats are grey, it is really difficult to distinguish fact from deception.  There has been no explanation whether the IED containing the revenge message was specifically placed to draw attention of security forces and was meant not to explode lest the message is lost, or it had simply failed to detonate due to some error.  If the message was meant to convey a warning, or claim the attack, there were more ways and means, including the use of Telegram App, which one media reported as having being used, instead of attaching a note.  If the IED was meant to detonate, the explosion would have destroyed the message.  Similarly, there was no explanation that how the three time-bombs exploded at a wrong-time, or who planted them and got away without being caught on any surveillance camera in the bus or on the street, and why did the drivers did not abandon the IED borne bus instantly along with the passengers.   
6. In early 1971, India had succeeded staging a hijack drama of one of its aircraft, Ganga, being commandeered to Lahore Airport on 30-Jan-1971, which was later blown up by the hijackers, after off-loading its passengers.  Pakistan soon discovered that it was a False Flag Operation created by RAW-KGB nexus to provide an excuse for banning over-flights, which at later stage would have been needed by Pakistan for preventing large scale Indian managed insurgency in East Pakistan.  The Hijackers, purporting to be Kashmiri Freedom Fighters, were later identified as Indian plants and were sentenced[5].    Just like the similar German False Flag Operation (Gleiwitz Incident, 31-Aug-1939) in Poland, the Ganga Hijack Drama was used to provide plausible justification to prohibit Pakistan’s overflights across India[6] in the already planned future warfare.
7. Considering the ongoing hybrid-Warfare and the use of deception and disinformation to achieve specific security intelligence objectives, these explosions appear to have been carried out to draw extensive media attention, and were perhaps not designed to cause any loss of life or indiscriminate loss of property.  Such bombs are generally used by local Mafias, and not hard-core terrorist or militant outfits.  As these incidents appear to have had happened during a phase of high-security, while there were local domestic demonstrations and unrest due to the hostage-crisis, and on-going Operation Iron Wall, and mounting pressures by the aggressive activities by the various pro-settler groups, chances of such an activity are less likely to go undetected.  Without a thorough investigation, it cannot be determined if the perpetrators were from anti-Israel group, or it was work of some home-grown extreme-right anti-Arab group, or some members of the hostile Palestinian groups.   With mystery and ambiguity surrounding the conduct of the attack and its objectives, several apparent evidences could well be deceptive strategies used in this hybrid warfare, turning these events to Ganga Episode-II. 
8. Israel, from 21-Jan-2025, the very-next day of oath-taking by the USA President, had launched an armed intrusive operation in West Bank, calling it a counter-terrorism Operation Iron Wall, targeting suspected terrorists to uproot the terrorist infrastructures in West Bank refugee camps.  The focus of this new series of attacks had shifted from Gaza to West Bank, and had redefined the broader objectives to Counter-Terrorism. 
9. Such a provocative event, as that of the exploding IEDs on buses, besides reminding the harrowing incident of bus-bombing in London at peak rush-hours at 08:55 on 07-Jul-2005, and in Israel, it could spur up a witch hunt, on the other hand, such an event provides plausible justification to step-up anti Palestinian action, which is exactly what it has led to.  As an immediate reaction to this incident, Israeli PM Netanyahu, after convening a security meeting, ordered a flat-out incursion against Judea and Samaria camps in West Bank, which when compared to earlier experiences in Gaza, was to displace the residents.  Israel has immediately ordered deployment of three additional battalions in the Seam Zone, the area between the Green Line or the boundary established in in 1949, also known as Armistice Line, demarking the West Bank area, and the Security Fence or West Bank barrier, constructed by Israel.  With Israel’s Military being relieved from Lebanon and Gaza, Israel would now be diverting its military energies against West Bank.  With Israel already having decimated the communication security of Axis of Resistance, it is believed that it continues to have access to uptodate operational and tactical intelligence, and would be once again using it in this mini-one-sided-conflict. 
10. The launch of Operation Iron Wall, on the very-next day of change of Administration in USA, sent a dismal signal that both USA and Israel have abandoned the agreed plans of a two-state solution. Some analysts are of the view that such an extreme approach about solution of Palestine, by Israeli PM is rooted in the survival of his government, which would collapse without the support of the far-right parties, who are opposed to any two-nation solution, and are advocates of annexing the territories, while continuing the expansion of settlements unabated.  The expansion of creation of settlements in such occupied territories, are considered as illegal by the international bodies and standards.  According to some analysts, Israeli PM had been deliberately delaying arriving at a cease fire agreement, so that he could prolong his stay in the office, and escape from the court hearing in the ongoing three charges of corruption, fraud and bribery.  The cases that were filed 2019, were taken up by the court for trial on 24-May-2020.  If convicted, the charges carry an imprisonment of maximum 10-years[7].  The Israeli PM on 19-Feb-2025, attended the 11^Th such hearing[8].  His wife, who had been earlier convicted on charges of financial irregularities in 2019, is undergoing court proceedings for another allegation of harassing witness in case of her husband’s trial[9].  The Israeli laws allow an accused to hold office, until he or she is convicted by Supreme Court.  The analysts believe that it is the Israeli PM’s compulsion that he drags on the war-like situation indefinitely. 
11. Analysts are unanimous in their opinion that the ongoing Operation Iron Wall in West Bank area of the Palestinian Authority (PA) or the occupied territories, is driven by the intention of territorial expansion, forced displacement of Palestinians, and incremental annexation of the occupied lands.  The analysts further believe that President Donald Trump may recognize and legitimize subsequent annexation, just like he had earlier done so for Jerusalem and the Golan Heights[10].  It is well understood that should the Israelis succeed in carrying out the annexation, the question of two-state solution would die its own death. 
12. Some media outlets are alleging that President Donald Trump has made a trade-off with Prime Minister Netanyahu in order to evince the ceasefire in Gaza where several American Israelis were also held hostage and there was a mounting public sentiment in USA, who were demanding a ceasefire. Ostensibly, the trade-off deal was that while Israel signs the Gaza cease-fire agreement, USA will not be very vocal or resistant for Israel’s stepped-up incursions in West Bank[11].
13. Previously, when Israel had occupied Jenin camp for 10-days in 2002, it had indiscriminately demolished hundreds of houses and displaced more than a quarter of its residents.  The Israeli Army in 2002, had deployed tanks in support of its incursions into West Bank, under the umbrella of Operation Defensive Shield.  After chairing the security meeting, and apparently using the explosions on the buses as a plausible justification, the Israeli PM on 23-Feb-2025, Israel once again deployed tanks in West Bank, along with its Nahal Infantry Brigade and the Duvdevan Commando Unit, to expand the ongoing operation.  So far, about 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, while 7,000 have been reported injured, since 07-Oct-2023, by the Israel Armed Forces[12].
14. According to media reports, soon after the implementation of Gaza ceasefire on 19-Jan-2025, Israeli armed forces had started building additional checkpoints and restricting the movement of Palestinians along West Bank in order to prevent any celebrations or gatherings to rejoice the ceasefire or the release of the political prisoners. The roadblocks and the checkpoints also prevented the Palestinian farmers from tending their farms and crops and to travel to or from Hebron and Bethlehem.  Back-to-back with this interdictory activity, the settlers started attacking Palestinian villages, destroying their properties and manhandling Palestinian residents, in presence of the security forces, who were said to be providing a security cover to the attacking settlers^[13].  The settlers were clearly trying to extend the limits of their settlements.  Development and expansion of such settlements is a practice, which USA has been considering a violation of international law^[14].  In a surprise move, the incoming USA administration, through Presidential Executive Orders, had lifted the sanctions on the various groups of settlers, that had been declared as Extremist Settler Movement, by the previous administration.  It is believed that this measure by the USA administration has further emboldened the settlers, who took advantage of the lifting of restrictions^[15].  The settlers had also started carrying out attacks against the West Bank.  Various villages including Funduq, Jinasfut and Masafer Yatta around Ramallah, in West Bank have been attacked by the settlers since 20-Jan-2025[16].  It appears to be a dual-pronged policy by Israel, used to pre-empt any possible resistance by the Palestinians as West Bank is ravaged, and to avail these moments of confusion to capture as much real estate as possible.  Settlers:  By 25-Feb-2025, there are more reports that the Israelis have armed the settlers and have given them a license to terrorize, carry out arson, and demolition of the property.  The attacks perpetuated by the settlers and the Israeli security forces are getting more focused on creating space for further settlements.  The annexation would lift all sort of international barriers upon development of illegal colonies or the settlements. It is believed that there are blueprints for more than 2,749 new settlements in the West Bank after cleansing those areas of the Palestinians. The expansions expected through this new surge during 2025 is expected at an average of 1,800 units per month.  With an intention of annexing these territories, Israel has already launched its pressures against UNRWA, which is responsible for the Palestinian displaced persons and refugees in the occupied territories.  Opposition to presence and functioning on UNRWA is a prelude to silencing and evicting them or erasing their role inside Israel.
15. Israeli PM Netanyahu had a year earlier, expressed his intention that he will completely uproot Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Islamic Resistance Movement) (HAMAS / Hamas) and dismantle Palestinian Authority (PA) which had been formed under the 1993-Oslo Accords[17].  The Accords recognized Israel, shunned armed struggle, and supported the two-state solution, while it maintained a rather secular outlook.  One of the primary conditions of the 1993-Oslo Accord was the eradication of armed groups from the PA in coordination with the State of Israel.  With reluctance of Israel to grant of any statehood to PA, the conditions of the accords began to be ignored, and development of armed groups began to take place.  With demise of Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas was elected as President of PA in 2005, and the following year, during the general elections in PA, Hamas, widely believed to be a militant organisation, supported by Iran, gained a thumping victory, in Gaza, that led to instant-diminishing of international support for the PA.  Finally, in 2007, after intense agitation, Hamas wrenched power from PA and seized control of Gaza. 
16. The current Israeli military surge towards West Bank coincides with President Donald Trump’s policy to take over and develop the Gaza Strip into a resort while persuading the Palestinians to migrate from Gaza into Egypt and Jordan, which according to some observers is ethnic cleansing. In the belligerent addresses by PM Netanyahu, he had already said that there will be no Hamas and no Palestinian Authority (PA) and he would work towards development of a different Gaza.  President Donald Trump on 05-Feb-2025, during the visit of PM Benjamin Netanyahu had very passionately vowed that USA will take over the war-torn and battered Gaza and would own it.  An expression which has been dubbed as ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, and has been widely discarded.  President Donald Trump said that with the American takeover and owning of Gaza, it would be converted into a Rivera of the Middle East, and USA would clear the area of the bombs, ammunition and the rubble, replacing this demolition site and hell-hole, with a resort, that would create a tremendous number of jobs.  He said that the Palestinians could spend their life in peace and harmony elsewhere.  Mr. Donald Trump said that if deemed necessary, US Military would be involved in the take-over.  Subsequently, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio had commented that the United States stands ready to lead and make Gaza beautiful again.  The Washington Post points out that Mr Donald Trump is a property developer, and has made this surprise proposal.  However, it may not be a surprise, when seen in context of the converging powerful interests in the property or real estate and expansion of settlements, by several Israeli political groups.  The Netanyahu led coalition government is dependent on the support of Religious Zionist Party led by Bezalel Smotrich, who is a sharp lawyer, settler, an advocate for annexing West Bank, with deep interest in expanding settlements in occupied territories, despite the global opposition to developing such settlements.  President Donald Trump also called for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states to accommodate the Palestinians when they are sent out from Gaza, though he did not elaborate how, if at all, this mass relocation of 2.5-million Palestinians would be carried out.  Mr. Netanyahu hinted that they would procure Gaza for United States of America.  This proposal seems to be anchored in personal interests of those interested parties, both in Israel and America, who are associated with real estate businesses and would find an entirely new opportunity to expand their interest in building up the promised Rivera of the Middle East[18]. 
17. Meanwhile Prime Minister Netanyahu has been repeatedly leveraging the narrative of development plan for Gaza and has been trying to emphasise that USA and Israel are working closely to work out the US taking ownership of Gaza and reconstructing it into the coastal strip resort.  During the Gaza conflict, USA had already in April-2024, tried building a Joint Logistics, Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) Trident floating pier along Gaza coast for distribution of relief goods.  Later, USA and Israel had both tried to make it a condition for a ceasefire that Egypt resettles the Gazans in the Sinai Desert[19], and upon its refusal, they had tried to pressurize Jordan in accepting the Palestinians. It is believed that Jordan had again declined hosting the relocated Palestinians during King of Jordan’s visit to USA on 11-Feb-2025.  At one point in time, there were voices which said that Saudi Arabia should step out and accommodate the Palestinians, which was responded by a collective and clarion opposition to the very idea of relocating Palestinians. 
18. The announcement by Israeli PM about routing PA and Hamas came in aftermath of the announcement made by Hamas that they would be prepared to hand over the control of Gaza to PA, from whom it had seized power several years ago and would also facilitate establishment of a committee to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza[20].  To increase the pressures on Palestinians, the Defense Minister of Israel immediately on 17-Feb-2025, formed a new agency mandated to oversee the anticipated voluntary departure of the Palestinians from Gaza.
19. The joint patrolling of the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeepers in the buffer-zone agreed during the cease-fire agreement, has been stalled as the Israelis have not completed the pullout, which places the complete implementation of the agreement in limbo.   Israel has also, tacitly made it clear that it would not allow peacekeeping force in Gaza, and if need be, Israel itself will perform the responsibilities of maintaining law and order in the occupied territories.  In Feb-2024, Israeli PM Netanyahu had already announced that when they would be calling a ceasefire, they would be enforcing a Southern Closure; which means that Israel would be sealing the borders with Egypt and would eradicate any chances of smuggling either over the ground or through the tunnels.  Israeli PM had also announced that they would also commence a de-radicalization program either independently or with support of some other Arab countries who have experience in de-radicalization[21].  Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia had all ongoing well-developed and successful de-radicalization programs, meeting international standards.  The Israeli PM had also alluded towards Israel enforcing a security control from the Jordanian borders, from land, sea and air. It seems that Israel is now moving on the road-map which it had unfolded in Feb-2024.  Considering this aspect to be well applicable today after a year and a half, further lends credibility to the view, that Palestine, Iran, Ukraine and Afghanistan are caught up in a very well synergized hybrid warfare spectrum developed by Israel and its allies, for gaining complete dominance upon global commerce, energy routes and respective resources.
20. Israel has taken these measures against West Bank in congruence with its announcement to remain in five strategic locations in Lebanon[22], which according to some analysts, is in violation to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.  The Israeli administration has hinted that the occupation of these five locations in Lebanon is temporary and is for the purposes of overseeing the rehabilitation of the internally displaced Israelis from the northern fringes of Israel along Lebanese border. However, confusing is the contradictory statements which suggest that Israel would stay in Lebanon as long as it deems fit in the interest of its security. When seeing these factors together with Israel’s intention to intensify its raids in the West Bank, there are fears that Israel may occupy and even possibly annex West Bank.
21. Israel is consolidating its strategic position as Iran continues to be on the back foot after the crash of Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian government and seizure of power by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).  To further assert its dominance, Israel has announced that it wants the Syrian government to completely demilitarize the southern provinces of Quneitra, Deraa and Suweida, besides ensuring complete protection to the Druze community.  This demand is in fact tantamount to forbidding Syria to use its armed forces freely within its own borders.  Israel is plausibly justifying this requirement to the fact that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham itself has been an Islamist group who had been highly militant in nature and there is no guarantee that it would not allow Islamist groups to harbour in Syria or use Syria as its base to launch attacks in the neighbouring countries.  This demand places the new government of Syria on a tight rope, as Israeli pressures continue to mount in the region. Israel has also refused to pull out its forces from the Syrian territories which it had occupied last December when Bashar al-Assad’s government was crumbling. Israel has also ruled out the possibility of pulling out from the UN-monitored demilitarized border zone in the Golan Heights, and would be retaining its forces over there until and unless it is satisfied that Syria is not posing any threat to Israel[23]. 
22. Just to reiterate its authority, Israel has conducted several attacks into the newly formed Syrian government. Israel has calmly heard Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa about his assurances about not wanting any conflict and his intent to honour all the disengagement agreements between Syria and Israel.  He had also called upon Israel to withdraw from the buffer zone so that he can manage and control the whole country and steer it towards a more peaceful coexistence.
23. With weakened Iranian and Russian influence in Syria, the government lacks adequate superpower backing, except that it is believed, the Turkish forces had supported in addition to a tacit American support. This scenario also raises the spectre for a possible expansion of Israel from its present legitimate geographical boundaries into new boundaries where it is likely to carve out buffer zones for its security from the neighbouring countries including Syria and Lebanon.
24. The posture Israel holds over Lebanon and its recent threats against attacking Iran, Iran’s nuclear facilities, the flights of the B-52Hs Stratofortress strategic bombers in the region and perhaps over Iran on 18-Feb-2025[24], these explosions in the buses could be the tipping point to justify, plausibly justify an attack on Iran in addition to carrying out a full military incursion into West Bank. It would also have a significant effect upon the future intentions and plans of entering into the phase two of the ceasefire in Gaza which was envisaged to lead to a complete pullout of the Israeli forces from there despite the strong signalling by Israel of evicting the Gazans from Gaza and converting it into a resort and also hinting that it could be occupied by USA. The situation has taken a steep turn.
25. At the same time Saudi Arabia had responded by taking the lead of Islamic Arab states opposing the relocation of the Gazans and had declined any such move. However, with the recent high-level meeting between Russian and American delegates in Riyadh, held on 18-Feb-2025, to discuss primarily to find out means to bring the Ukraine conflict to an end.  There are various speculations that these talks have paved way for super-powers’ more direct involvement in settling the issues of Gaza, West Bank, Palestine, Afghanistan as well as Iran through this emerging mechanism of negotiations.  Several events add to the speculation; the unconfirmed reports of presence of Taliban government’s Interior Minister in Saudi Arabia immediately before the meeting, flight of America’s B-52Hs Stratofortress strategic bombers over the Middle East, escorted by fighter planes of nine (09) allied countries[25], sending a direct message to Iran and the Axis of Resistance, shuttle diplomacy by Ukrainian President, all allude towards subtle interlinking of associated issues.  The meeting, with the media hype has transformed into an ab-initio meeting of 21^St Century repetition of Sykes-Picot Agreement, and considering how to reshape the Great Game by dividing the world into two halves into areas of economies and influence. 
26. However, the absence of China in this meeting tends to keep the picture incomplete. In the wake of the meetings and the pressure being built up about relocation of the Palestinians, Saudi Arabia had called a meeting of diplomatic leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and UAE on 21-Feb-2025, while, the EU, who had been excluded from the Russo-American meeting at Riyadh, is believed to be prepared to extend suitable contribution in rebuilding of the Gaza.  Israel on the other hand is continuing to target the remaining Hamas leadership and just a day before the Riyadh meeting, on 17-Feb-2025, targeted Mohammad Shaheen, residing in Sidon in southern Lebanon.
27. The first probability emerging from this scenario is that the bus-explosions were a very serious attempt to destabilize the Gaza and Lebanon peace process and to announce the emergence of a more radical group that does not endorse the ceasefire. This also adds to the possibility that the far-rightist groups and possibly some extremist members of the settlement estate stakeholders had engineered a display or a False Flag Operation which would halt any peace process at a moment when there is confusion and would allow these forces to inflict damage to the Palestinians.
28. Several extremist and hardline Jewish groups exist in Israel, which are opposed to the Arabs. Amongst them, some of the prominent ones are Lehava, which is a far-right Jewish extremist organization that has been quite active against the Arabs, using the tactics of harassment, protests and incitements.  Kahane Chai, a violent and pro-settler party, re-branded in 1990, is successor of the Kach party, that was banned in 1988 due to its racist activities.  Kahane Chai, itself was also banned in 1994, when it was found that it had carried out the Cave of Patriarchs (Al-Haram Al-Ibrahim) Massacre in Hebron on 25-Feb-1994, killing atleast 29 and injuring more than 120 Palestinian Muslims busy in prayers.  Both Kach and Kahane Chai have also been declared as terrorist organizations by Israel, United States, USA and European Union.  In addition to these groups, various smaller political parties are also known as Extreme-Right parties, that have extremely anti-Arabs outlook. Amongst them, Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, which has its representation in Israel’s National Assembly, Knesset, and similarly, Religious Zionist Party led by Bezalel Smotrich.
29. Another possibility could be that the bus-explosions were a strategical deceptive move engineered by the support of the clandestine proxies available to Israel, to provide plausible justification for continuing or extending its stay in Lebanon, dictate additional terms to the Palestinians and to create plausible grounds for implicating Iran and thereby justifying need to carry out the long-intended attack on its nuclear facilities.
30. Already, Israel has been sabre-clattering and has been straining on to carry out an attack on Iran and had made such statements that clearly threaten Iran with an Israeli attack, preferably with American backing[26].  President Donald Trump’s suspicions that Iran had wanted to assassinate him and that had it done so, Iran would have been decimated, and the subsequent slapping of restrictions on Iran, places President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu on the same side of the fence against Iran and its nuclear capabilities[27]. Iran, sensing the seriousness of the situation, has already announced that should any such attack be conducted against Iran, it will very quickly rebuild the nuclear facilities and create the bomb[28].
31. The overflights of the two American B-52Hs Stratofortress strategic bombers over the Middle East in a show of aerial supremacy while they were escorted by fighter aircraft of several other European states, the message could not be clearer[29].

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[1] “Explosions on three Israeli buses in ‘militant attack’, police say”, Video Clip on PA Media: Video, 21-Feb-2025, https://uk.news.yahoo.com/explosions-three-israeli-buses-militant-024721088.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACoA9_mwrFfPmyrEEDTr5pWj4z4q0xkEG_bBRT_PC2tUbxgm3StQXKang6poxEkz_dbPnUlzN98uFUPcorWMhcjtM0NoUmOl7KEIuta5Y9pWIiE6gWCL1wugSbzrlCHplpniQZtKkkEQg69tmL4talkSxPc6RX-meZaxzDaCQAa-

[2] ^{“Iran believed to be behind central Israel bus bombings, initial security assessment finds”, by James Genn, Keshet Neev, Amichai Stein and Amir Bohbot, 20-Feb-2025, Jerusalem Post, < https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-843086>}

[3] “Security forces arrest nine in ‘sophisticated, daring’ arms smuggling op. in Negev”, by Jerusalem Post Staff, 23-Feb-2025, < https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-843397>

[4] “3 buses explode in Bat Yam, Holon in suspected strategically planned terror attack”, by Times of Israel Staff and Emanuel Fabian, 20-Feb-2025, < https://www.timesofisrael.com/3-buses-explode-in-bat-yam-holon-in-suspected-strategically-planned-terror-attack/>

[5] Mr. Hashim Qureshi at the age of 17, along with his brother, Ashraf Qureshi and five others hijacked an Indian Fokker friendship plane called Ganga, to Pakistan, Lahore in 1970.  After the landing of the aircraft, he blew up the aircraft.  Later, Pakistani intelligence suspected him to have been motivated by the RAW of India.  As such he was sentenced.  Later upon his release, he found his way to Denmark, from where he returned to India in year 2000.

[6] Though Pakistani authorities, after a brief period of surprise, did arrest the hijackers, who had achieved instead fame, by ostensibly carrying out the hijack to secure release of dozens of the then Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF).  The hijackers were tried and imprisoned, and the plot exposed.  Indians had succeeded in achieving multiple results; one, they banned the over-flights, second, due to legitimate suspicions, the whole JKLF lost its patronage by Pakistan’s government, and its upcoming leader remained a suspect in eyes of Pakistan for the rest of his life.  Also See “India-Pakistan in War Peace & Peace” by J. N. Dixit, published by Books Today, New Delhi in 2002. Page 178. 

[7] “Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial, what you need to know”, by Farah Najjar, Al-Jazeera, 09-Dec-2024, < https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/9/benjamin-netanyahus-corruption-trial-what-you-need-to-know>

[8] “Israel’s Netanyahu appears in court for 11th time in his corruption trial”, by Abdelraouf Arnaout, Anadolu Agency (AA), 19-Feb-2025, < https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-s-netanyahu-appears-in-court-for-11th-time-in-his-corruption-trial/3486680>

[9] “Criminal probe launched into Sara Netanyahu over allegations of witness tampering”, by Jeremy Sharon, Times of Israel, 02-Feb-2025, < https://www.timesofisrael.com/criminal-probe-launched-into-sara-netanyahu-over-allegations-of-witness-tampering/>

[10] “Israel’s West Bank offensive: Prelude to annexation?”, by Rabia Ali, Anadolu Agency (AA), 25-Feb-2025, < https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/-israel-s-west-bank-offensive-prelude-to-annexation/3492827>

[11] “‘The battlefield is about to shift’: West Bank braces for rising violence”, by Mat Nashed, Al-Jazeera, 22-Jan-2025, < https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/22/the-battlefield-is-about-to-shift-palestinians-brace-for-rising-violence>

[12] “For 1st time in over 2 decades, Israel deploys tanks in occupied West Bank amid escalation”, by Ikram Kouachi, Anadolu Agency (AA), 23-Feb-2025, < https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/for-1st-time-in-over-2-decades-israel-deploys-tanks-in-occupied-west-bank-amid-escalation/3490435>

[13] “‘The battlefield is about to shift’: West Bank braces for rising violence”, by Mat Nashed, Al-Jazeera, 22-Jan-2025, < https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/22/the-battlefield-is-about-to-shift-palestinians-brace-for-rising-violence>

[14] “Israel’s PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the war” by Jenny Hill, for BBC News, published on 24-Feb-2024, < https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68379646>

[15] “‘The battlefield is about to shift’: West Bank braces for rising violence”, by Mat Nashed, Al-Jazeera, 22-Jan-2025, < https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/22/the-battlefield-is-about-to-shift-palestinians-brace-for-rising-violence>

[16] “‘The battlefield is about to shift’: West Bank braces for rising violence”, by Mat Nashed, Al-Jazeera, 22-Jan-2025, < https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/22/the-battlefield-is-about-to-shift-palestinians-brace-for-rising-violence>

[17] “What would a new Palestinian government in the West Bank mean for the war in Gaza?” by Joseph Krauss, for AP News, published on 27-Feb-2024, < https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinian-authority-government-explainer-aefe041e045f2c60918b42f42185f41e>; AND, “Israel’s PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the war” by Jenny Hill, for BBC News, published on 24-Feb-2024, < https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68379646>

[18] “Trump says US will ‘take over’ Gaza Strip in shock announcement during Netanyahu visit”, by David Smith in Washington, the Guardian, 05-Feb-2025, < https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/05/donald-trump-plan-to-take-over-gaza-strip-netanyahu-visit>

[19] “Intelligence Ministry ‘concept paper’ proposes transferring Gazans to Egypt’s Sinai”

By Amy Teibel, AP and ToI Staff, 31-Oct-2023, < https://www.timesofisrael.com/intelligence-ministry-concept-paper-proposes-transferring-gazans-to-egypts-sinai/amp/>

[20] “Netanyahu ‘committed’ to Trump’s plan to take over Gaza”, by Bethan McKernan Jerusalem correspondent for The Guardian, published on 17-Feb-2025, < https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/17/netanyahu-committed-to-trumps-plan-to-take-over-gaza>

[21] “Israel’s PM Netanyahu lays out Gaza plan for after the war” by Jenny Hill, for BBC News, published on 24-Feb-2024, < https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68379646>

[22] The five strategic locations from where Israel has declined to pull out include:  (i)  The Hasullam mountain range overlooking [the Israeli settlement of] Shlomi;  (ii)  Th”e Hashaked mountain range overlooking [the Israeli settlements of] Avivim;  (iii)  Mallaqi’a; the Hatzivoni mountain range overlooking [the Israeli settlement of] Saluq;  (iv)  Margaliot; Jabal Blat overlooking [the Israeli settlement of] Zarit, Nurit and Shtula; and, (v)  Hamamis overlooking Mount Dov and Metula,”

[23] “Israel demands complete demilitarisation of southern Syria”, by Sebastian Usher, BBC Middle East analyst, 24-Feb-2025, < https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgenz02lp8o>

[24] “US B-52 bombers fly over nine countries in Middle East in show of force”, by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English, Published on 18-Feb-2025, < https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2025/02/18/us-b-52-bombers-fly-over-nine-countries-in-middle-east-in-show-of-force>

[25] “US B-52 bombers fly over nine countries in Middle East in show of force”, by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English, Published on 18-Feb-2025, < https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2025/02/18/us-b-52-bombers-fly-over-nine-countries-in-middle-east-in-show-of-force>

[26] “Netanyahu seeks to draw Trump into future attack on Iranian nuclear sites”, by Julian Borger in Jerusalem, The Guardian, 17-Feb-2025, < https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/17/benjamin-netanyahu-israel-donald-trump-us-iran-nuclear-programme>

[27] “Media: US to equip Israel with “Mother of All Bombs” to target Iran’s nuclear facilities”, Caliber, 07-Feb-2025, < https://caliber.az/en/post/media-us-to-equip-israel-with-mother-of-all-bombs-to-target-iran-s-nuclear-facilities>

[28] “Iran says it will rebuild nuclear facilities if attacked following reports of planned Israeli strike”, AFP, published in The Dawn, on 13-Feb-2025, < https://www.dawn.com/news/1891723>

[29] “US B-52 bombers fly over nine countries in Middle East in show of force”, by Joseph Haboush, Al Arabiya English, Published on 18-Feb-2025, < https://english.alarabiya.net/News/united-states/2025/02/18/us-b-52-bombers-fly-over-nine-countries-in-middle-east-in-show-of-force>