Published: 01:03 AM, 08 April 2026
From Gaza to Syria and Lebanon: The Blazing Flames Across Scorching Deserts in Middle East
Amir Mohammed Khosru
The blazing flames now visible across the scorching deserts of the Middle East are not merely the result of a temporary border conflict; rather, beneath them lies a decades-old political and religious ambition. A recent investigative discussion by Al Jazeera has brought renewed attention to the concept of “Greater Israel.” Once dismissed as an unrealistic fantasy of extremists, it has now entered the mainstream of Israel’s state-level policymaking. The ongoing military offensives by Israeli forces—from Gaza to southern Lebanon, and even into Syria—are widely believed to be driven by this very vision of a “Greater Israel.”
The idea of Greater Israel refers to a Zionist ideology which holds that Israel’s borders should not remain confined to its current map. Based on an interpretation of Genesis 15:18 from the Bible, proponents of this ideology claim that Israel’s “entitled” territory stretches from the Nile River in Egypt to the Euphrates in Iraq. The founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, also wrote in his diary about a Jewish state extending from the Nile to the Euphrates. In essence, this vision includes not only present-day Palestine but also Jordan, Lebanon, large parts of Syria, and portions of Egypt and Iraq.
This once-extremist idea is no longer a fringe position in Israeli politics. Those currently in power—particularly the far-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—are openly embracing this ideology. Even opposition parties in Israel are no longer strongly resisting such expansionist rhetoric. When Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly declares that “the future of Jerusalem extends to Damascus,” it becomes clear that this is not merely a matter of religious sentiment, but a calculated political objective.
This ambition gained momentum particularly after the Six-Day War of 1967. In that war, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula. Notably, it was Israel’s so-called leftist or liberal parties that initially laid the groundwork for settlement expansion. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political ideology is deeply rooted in the “Jabotinsky Doctrine,” which asserts that Zionism can only survive through strength. The 1999 platform of the Likud Party explicitly stated that the Jordan River would serve as Israel’s permanent eastern border, and that no Palestinian state would be allowed west of it.
Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, 2024, Israel violated the 1974 ceasefire agreement and has since occupied approximately 350 to 400 square kilometers of Syrian territory. Israeli forces continue regular military operations in southern Syria, particularly around Quneitra, Daraa, and Suwayda. Israeli defense officials have even stated that southern Syria will be held “indefinitely.”
In southern Lebanon, Israel is now replicating what can be described as the “Beit Hanoun and Rafah model” used in Palestine. The approach involves heavy bombardment to reduce populated areas to rubble, forcibly displacing residents, and rendering the region uninhabitable. The same strategy is currently being implemented in southern Lebanon. Israeli forces have ordered residents to evacuate areas up to 40 kilometers north of the Israeli border—beyond the Litani River, extending even to the northern side of the Zahrani River. This sweeping evacuation order affects approximately 1,470 square kilometers, nearly 14 percent of Lebanon’s total land area. Israel claims it intends to establish a “buffer zone” under its control. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of registered displaced people in Lebanon has reached 1,049,328, including 132,742 who have taken shelter in collective centers. Israel’s declared intention to occupy territory up to the Litani River aligns directly with the map envisioned under the Greater Israel concept.
The events of October 7, 2023, have provided what many far-right Israeli factions see as a “golden opportunity.” What was once impossible under international pressure is now being pursued under the justification of “security.” Their mindset reflects a “now or never” approach. Warnings from international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have failed to deter them. There are growing concerns that a process resembling ethnic cleansing is underway, aimed at fully integrating Gaza and the West Bank into Israel while eliminating the Palestinian demographic presence, regardless of land ownership.
The role of the United States in enabling Israel’s bold actions is undeniable. From the Biden administration to figures associated with the incoming Trump administration, positions taken by American leadership have emboldened these ambitions. The newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, openly stated that he would have no objection if Israel were to take control of the entire Middle East, viewing it as a “divine right.” When the world’s most powerful nation grants such perceived immunity, Israeli leaders are less hesitant to cross any boundaries.
Netanyahu has long identified Iran as the primary existential threat to Israel. By targeting Iran’s network of proxies and allies in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, Israel is effectively striking along the very borders envisioned in the Greater Israel map. This is not merely an Iran-Israel conflict; it is part of a broader, long-term strategy to reshape the geopolitical landscape of the entire region.
Even after the bombs stop falling and foreign powers withdraw, the people of this region will still have to live together. Yet the seeds of hatred and conflict being sown today through violence and expansionism threaten to destabilize the Middle East for generations to come.
Greater Israel is no longer just a theory—it is a harsh reality taking shape through the bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon. It resembles a campaign of “purification,” where no space is left for non-Jewish or indigenous Palestinian populations. If the international community fails to confront this expansionist drive now, the map of the Middle East may be altered in ways that will not only erase the existence of a people but also trigger widespread global instability. The attempt to shape history through brute force raises a pressing question: at what cost to humanity? Israel today appears intoxicated with power. Yet history teaches us that land seized by force does not bring peace—it only paves the way for further wars. If the vision of Greater Israel is realized, it may well become the final nail in the coffin of peace in the Middle East.
Amir Mohammed Khosru is
a banker and a columnist.
