Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately pushing the limits of the ceasefire with Hamas in an attempt to justify renewed military action in Gaza, according to a political analyst.

Muhammad Shehada, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations based in Copenhagen, told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu’s actions since the truce began have been aimed at undermining it.

“From the very start of the ceasefire, Netanyahu has been trying to find any possible pretext to resume the genocide in Gaza,” Shehada said. “We can see this in Israel’s refusal to reopen the Rafah border crossing, its tight restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the Strip, and the continued bombardments despite the truce still being in place. These strikes are carried out under unsubstantiated and politically motivated claims.”

Shehada argued that Israel’s leadership is deliberately “testing the waters” to determine how far it can push the limits of the ceasefire agreement, which was brokered by US President Donald Trump.

“We are witnessing the same pattern again and again,” he said. “Netanyahu appears to be probing the boundaries of the truce, gauging Washington’s reaction, and preparing the ground for a full resumption of military operations in Gaza.”

Observers say that Netanyahu’s rhetoric and the Israeli government’s actions have increasingly strained the fragile truce, raising fears that the conflict could soon reignite. Reporting from Aljazeera.