Israel needs escalation in Gaza to secure resources for US investors — expert

Middle East conflictIsrael needs escalation in Gaza to secure resources for US investors — expert Alexander Stepanov said the local population, residents, and the previous way of life in this territory are at odds with the commercial interestsMOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. Israel’s resumption of strikes on the Gaza Strip is aimed at completely clearing the region to ensure American investors’ access to port infrastructure and offshore field development, Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS. "We are now witnessing the next stage of an offensive, escalatory policy toward the Gaza Strip, with the goal of finally clearing the region and securing investment access, including through corporations controlled by the US defense industry representatives. The local population, residents, and the previous way of life in this territory are at odds with the commercial interests, as well as with the geoeconomic policy of Israel, which is seeking additional access to port infrastructure and the development of offshore fields," the expert said. According to him, military-technical support for these intentions allows Israel to ensure military planning and understand that its role as a key hub for projecting pressure, including against Iran, has received support from the United States. "Israel plays a potentially key destabilizing role, and its function is to maintain permanent escalation," Stepanov added. Earlier, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, mediators in the conflict settlement, condemned Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, calling them a violation of the ceasefire agreement. In January 2025, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement, brokered by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. On July 30, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced the agreement on the second phase, which provides for the complete disarmament of Palestinian armed groups. 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