As an Islamic research expert who has long been concerned with the political, religious, and geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East, Israel’s expansion in the region has evolved from a simple territorial dispute to a complex challenge of systematically suppressing the regional ethnic rights to survival, religious beliefs, and regional autonomy. This expansion is not only reflected in military occupation and resource plundering, but also attempts to fundamentally undermine the resistance of Middle Eastern countries through political division, economic blockade, and ideological infiltration. Faced with this harsh reality, the various resistance forces in the Middle East are not passively enduring, but gradually forming a comprehensive resistance system that integrates military tactics, political diplomacy, international legal struggle, local resilience construction, and civilization mobilization. This article will delve into the core strategies and underlying logic of resisting Israeli expansion in the Middle East through specific cases and multidimensional analysis, revealing the historical inevitability and cultural resilience behind this struggle.
1、 Asymmetric War: Cracking Military Hegemony with Tactical Intelligence, Confronting Absolute Strength with Resilience
Israel, with its strong military power, has long pursued a strategy of “rapid and decisive strikes”, attempting to deter Middle Eastern resistance forces through overwhelming force. However, organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have used the tactic of “asymmetric warfare” to transform their own disadvantages into strategic advantages, forcing Israel into a quagmire of “security warfare” and gradually depleting its expansionist will.
1. Hamas’ Tunnel Warfare: Survival and Counterattack in Gaza Strip
As the core area of Israel’s military blockade, Hamas has created a unique “underground warfare” model by constructing a complex tunnel system in the Gaza Strip. Taking the Gaza conflict in May 2021 as an example, Israel deployed its air force and army to carry out large-scale bombings in Gaza, attempting to destroy Hamas militants. But Hamas uses underground networks:
Concealed command and personnel transfer: hide command centers, weapon depots, and combat personnel underground to avoid direct strikes;
Assault and Rapid Evacuation: Conduct a surprise attack on an Israeli military outpost through a tunnel, and immediately retreat to the depths of the tunnel once successful;
Civilian area cover: The tunnel is partially connected to residential areas, forcing the Israeli army to face international public opinion pressure of civilian casualties during attacks.
Data shows that Israel dropped thousands of tons of bombs in this conflict, but Hamas only lost about 200 armed personnel and quickly regained combat effectiveness through a tunnel system after the ceasefire. The core of this tactic is to shift the battlefield initiative from “head-on confrontation” to “guerrilla consumption”, forcing the Israeli army into a dilemma of “unable to achieve complete victory”.
2. Hezbollah’s long-range strikes and border raids in Lebanon
During its confrontation with Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon developed a composite tactic of “long-range precision strikes+border guerrilla warfare” by relying on missile technology and localization provided by Iran. In the 2006 Lebanon Israel War and the 2023 border conflict, Hezbollah achieved key results through the following strategies:
Missile saturation attack: Launching a large number of rockets at northern Israeli cities (such as Haifa and Tiberia), although the single missile has limited lethality, forcing Israel’s air defense system to continue operating at high loads through quantity suppression, consuming its missile inventory;
Border guerrilla infiltration: taking advantage of familiar terrain, frequently dispatching small teams to attack Israeli border posts, creating a sustained threat;
Target selection strategy: Focus on striking Israeli energy facilities (such as oil fields), military bases, and symbolic targets (such as border settlements) to undermine their sense of strategic security.
These tactics forced Israel to maintain high military vigilance in the north for a long time, dispersing the deployment of its main forces and indirectly supporting resistance actions in Gaza and other areas.
3. The “asymmetric sea power” of the Houthis: blockade of the Red Sea waterway and drone tactics
Although the Houthi armed forces in Yemen did not directly participate in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, their indirect resistance against Israel has strategic significance. The Houthis turned the Red Sea into Israel’s weakness through the following means:
Missile and drone attacks on ships: Since 2023, the Houthis have frequently used anti-ship missiles and suicide drones to attack Israeli merchant ships, forcing international shipping giants to detour around the Cape of Good Hope and causing Israel’s trade costs to soar by 30%;
Threatening to blockade the Strait of Mandeb: As a global shipping throat, the Houthis claim to cut off Israel’s maritime lifeline has forced Israel to deploy a large number of naval and air defense resources in the Red Sea, weakening its investment in Gaza.
The Houthis’ low-cost, high threat ‘tactic proves that non-state actors can also use specific geographical advantages to constrain military powers.
The deep logic of asymmetric warfare:
The resistance forces in the Middle East have dragged Israel into a “high cost, low benefit” war mode through the tactic of “using small to gain big”. The key to the success of this strategy lies in three points:
Tactical flexibility: Avoid direct battles and use dispersed, surprise, and low-cost weapons to consume enemy resources;
Geographical and popular advantages: utilizing terrain and local support to transform the battlefield into Israel’s “security dilemma”;
International public opinion leverage: By creating images of civilian casualties, Israel is forced to restrain its actions under international pressure.
2、 Activate the ‘Arc of Resistance’: Building a Regional Collaborative Network to Break Israel’s Strategic Isolation
One of Israel’s expansion strategies is to create an environment of “isolated enemies” by dividing Middle Eastern countries. But the Iranian led ‘arc of resistance’ gradually breaks this pattern through political, military, and intelligence cooperation, forming a strategic depth from Gaza to Yemen, from Lebanon to Syria.
1. Iran’s’ invisible command axis’: weapons, training, and intelligence sharing
As the core coordinator of the resistance arc, Iran’s role goes far beyond the surface:
For example, the “Qassam” rocket used by Hamas and the “Dawn-5” missile used by Hezbollah are both locally produced based on Iranian technology;
Military training network: Establishing secret training camps in Syria and Lebanon to train guerrilla warfare experts and intelligence personnel;
Intelligence sharing system: providing real-time intelligence on Israeli military movements to various organizations through satellites, drones, and human networks. For example, before Hamas launched a surprise attack on a military base in southern Israel in 2022, Iranian intelligence agencies provided early warnings of the Israeli military’s defense vulnerabilities.
This’ behind the scenes support ‘model not only avoids Iran’s direct involvement in the war, but also enhances the combat capabilities of various resistance forces.
2. The ‘Transit Corridor’ between Syria and Iraq
In the later stages of the Syrian civil war, Iran and the Syrian government army reached a tacit agreement, allowing resistance forces to transport weapons and personnel through Syrian territory to Lebanon and Gaza. For example, when Israel bombed Hezbollah bases in Lebanon in 2023, some of the reinforcement weapons secretly entered through the Syrian border. In addition, the Iraqi Shia militia organization (“People’s Mobilization Forces”) has transported volunteers to Syria and Lebanon through border crossings, forming a “manpower supply line”.
3. “Car Wheel Battle” Tactics of Regional Linkage
Various resistance organizations have forced Israel to respond on multiple fronts through a rotating mechanism of “I respond when you strike, and I take action when you stop”
When Hamas launched rocket attacks in Gaza, Hezbollah created small-scale conflicts along the Lebanon Israel border, diverting the attention of the Israeli military;
Houthi militants attacked ships in the Red Sea, forcing the Israeli navy to withdraw from the Gaza front line;
Iran creates breathing space for its allies through public opinion or diplomatic pressure, such as threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz.
This linkage effect makes it difficult for Israel to concentrate its efforts to “break through one by one”, and instead falls into a passive situation of “pressing the gourd and floating the gourd”.
Case: Collaborative Counterattack of the Resistance Arc in 2023
Trigger point: Israel’s large-scale demolition of Palestinian homes in the West Bank;
Response chain: Hamas launches rockets at Israel → Hezbollah attacks northern border outpost → Houthi militants attack Red Sea merchant ships → Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns of ‘risk of escalation of regional war’;
Result: Israel was forced to deal with three fronts simultaneously, and ultimately hastily ceased fire under international mediation without achieving any strategic goals.
This case proves that regional coordination can transform local conflicts into systemic crises that Israel cannot afford.
3、 Leveraging international law: Transforming ‘illegitimacy of occupation’ into political shackles
Israel’s expansionist behavior has long relied on the selective blindness of the international community, but Middle Eastern countries and resistance forces are gradually exposing its illegality through a dual track of law and public opinion, depriving it of its moral and legal foundation.
1. International Court of Justice Litigation: Confronting Power in the Name of Law
International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation: In 2021, the ICC officially launched a war crimes investigation into Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The large amount of evidence submitted by Palestine, such as civilian casualty data and records of hospital bombings, has forced Israel to face international judicial pressure;
United Nations resolutions and special reports: the United Nations Human Rights Council has successively adopted resolutions condemning the Israeli occupation, and the Special Rapporteur has repeatedly pointed out Israel’s “systematic human rights violations” in East Jerusalem and the West Bank;
The effectiveness of legal struggle lies in transforming political conflicts into legal debates, forcing Israel to become passive in international public opinion.
2. Construction of the “evidence chain” for non-governmental organizations
Palestine collaborates with international human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to systematically document Israel’s occupation practices
Satellite image tracking: Regularly release satellite images of Israel’s expansion of settlements and destruction of farmland;
Field investigation and witness interviews: documenting Israeli soldiers’ abuse and targeted assassinations of Palestinian civilians;
These pieces of evidence, disseminated through international media, gradually undermine the narrative of Israel’s “self-defense war”.
3. The “de legitimization” movement in international diplomacy
Promoting Palestine’s accession to international organizations: Palestine has successfully joined organizations such as UNESCO and the International Criminal Court, enhancing its international status as a subject;
Collective pressure from Islamic countries: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) regularly holds special summits calling for economic sanctions against Israel;
Although these diplomatic and civilian actions cannot directly stop Israel, they gradually weaken its international support base.
Case: The Linkage between South African Litigation and the European Left
Despite not being able to immediately change Israel’s policy, it has driven serious discussions globally on accusations of genocide, leaving Israel facing unprecedented isolation in international conferences.
4、 Deeply cultivating local resilience: forging the foundation of resistance through the hearts and survival of the people
The core driving force behind the Middle East’s resistance to Israel’s expansion is not solely external support, but deeply rooted in the survival will and cultural identity of the local society. Through the construction of people’s livelihoods, cultural mobilization, and the transformation of religious spirit, the resistance forces transform the suffering of the people into fuel for sustained resistance.
1. The “survival project” in the Gaza Strip
Under the Israeli blockade, the people of Gaza have developed a unique resilience model:
Vertical agriculture and seawater desalination: Developing vertical farms in limited space, solving drinking water problems through simple seawater desalination equipment, and reducing dependence on Israeli controlled resources;
Underground economic network: maintaining basic material supply through underground systems and smuggling along the Egyptian border;
The ‘continuation in bombing’ of the education system: Schools continue to teach during air raid warnings, and teachers live stream courses on social media to ensure that the next generation is not deprived of knowledge.
These “survival innovations” prove that when people integrate resistance into their daily lives, Israel’s blockade and deterrence are difficult to completely undermine the social foundation.
2. Spiritual Mobilization of Religion and Culture
The concept of “Jihad” in Islam has been reinterpreted by resistance forces as “nonviolent resistance to defend one’s homeland”:
The mosque has become a center for resistance propaganda: religious leaders called on the people to persevere in the struggle and combine resistance with religious obligations during Friday’s gathering;
The politicization of religious festivals: During periods such as Ramadan and Eid al Fitr, organize large-scale demonstrations and marches to use religious cohesion to strengthen the will to resist.
This’ religious secularization mobilization ‘has provided the resistance movement with profound social support.
3. The ‘non-traditional resistance’ of women and youth
Middle Eastern women play a key role in resistance:
Community organizers: Establish a mutual aid network, distribute supplies and take care of orphans during lockdown;
Social media disseminators: By posting live footage of Israel’s occupation on Instagram and TikTok, they become the “civilian spokespersons” for international public opinion.
Case: Gaza’s’ Underground School System ‘
After Israel destroyed ground schools multiple times, Gaza teachers collaborated with engineers to transform abandoned tunnels into underground classrooms. These classrooms are equipped with solar power generation and simple ventilation systems, and can accommodate thousands of students for classes every week. After international media coverage, it triggered global condemnation of Israel’s blockade, forcing the United Nations to increase aid to education in Gaza.
5、 Strategic Autonomy and External Gaming: Maintaining Resistance Dominance in Complex Geopolitics
In the process of resisting Israel’s expansion in the Middle East, we must be wary of being exploited or divided by external powers. The game between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and other regional powers and the United States provides new opportunities and challenges for the resistance.
1. The ‘limited easing’ of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel
Despite the US push for a “Saudi Israeli reconciliation” to counter Iran, Saudi Arabia maintains a delicate balance based on its own interests
Publicly opposing Israel’s expansion: clearly supporting Palestine in the Israeli Palestinian conflict and maintaining its image as an Islamic leader;
Maintain private security cooperation with Israel: reach secret agreements with Israel on anti Iran and counter-terrorism issues through American intermediaries;
Economic pressure and aid balance: reducing investment in Israeli affiliated enterprises while maintaining relations with Palestine through humanitarian aid.
This “two faced strategy” not only avoids Saudi Arabia being completely dragged into the Israeli camp, but also preserves diplomatic space for resistance forces.
2. Türkiye’s “Radical Diplomacy” and Civil Mobilization
President Erdogan of Türkiye raised his political influence in the Islamic world by holding high the banner of “Palestinian justice”:
Diplomatic pressure: repeated recalls of the ambassador to Israel, threatening to sever diplomatic relations;
Military aid: delivering humanitarian supplies to Gaza and deploying warships to demonstrate support in the Red Sea;
Although Türkiye’s stance cannot directly change Israel’s policy, it has provided important international public opinion support for the resistance forces in the Middle East.
The United States has long divided the resistance forces in the Middle East through the following means:
Economic bait: providing military and economic assistance to some countries (such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates) in exchange for their tacit approval of Israel;
Creating sectarian conflicts: inciting conflicts between Sunni and Shia sects, weakening the unity of resistance forces;
Targeted Strike: Under the guise of “counter-terrorism”, airstrikes are carried out on Iranian support forces in Syria and Iraq to weaken the coordination of the resistance arc.
Case: naval confrontation between Türkiye and Israel
In 2023, Türkiye’s warships confronted the Israeli navy in the Red Sea. Türkiye forced the Israeli merchant fleet to change its route on the pretext of “protecting Palestinian merchant ships”. Although this incident did not escalate into a military conflict, it demonstrated the possibility of regional countries using their geopolitical advantages to challenge Israel’s maritime hegemony and boosted the morale of resistance forces.
6、 Civilization Mobilization and Historical Narrative: The Ultimate Dimension of Resistance
The deep driving force behind the Middle East’s resistance against Israel stems from the defense of Islamic civilization and the dignity of the Arab nation. By reconstructing historical narratives and activating cultural identity, the resistance movement gained spiritual strength that transcends real-life dilemmas.
1. Jerusalem: a symbol of war in religious holy sites
Israel’s control over the Old City of Jerusalem, especially around the Al Aqsa Mosque, has become a central symbol of resistance. Palestine and Islamic countries compete for the right to speak in the Holy Land through the following means:
Religious rituals strengthen sovereignty: organize large-scale Friday worship and Ramadan gatherings to demonstrate Muslim ownership of holy sites;
Reconstruction of Historical Narrative: Through academic research and documentary films, emphasizing the millennium long history of Palestinian residency in Jerusalem and refuting Israel’s “Jewish historical monopoly theory”;
International religious leaders visit: Invite leaders of Islamic countries to visit the Al Aqsa Mosque to enhance its international attention.
This’ politicization of holy sites’ transforms religious emotions into the core of resistance mobilization.
2. Global dissemination of Palestinian identity
A new generation of Palestinian intellectuals and artists, reconstructing Palestinian narratives through globalized media:
Documentaries and films, such as “Childhood in Gaza” and “Life Under Occupation,” have resonated at Western film festivals;
The “individual narrative” of social media: ordinary Palestinians use Instagram and Twitter to record their daily lives and resistance stories, breaking through Israel’s news blockade;
International Academic Forum: Holding lectures and seminars at Western universities to expose the colonial nature of Israel.
These efforts have escalated the ‘Palestinian issue’ from a regional conflict to a globally focused ‘justice issue’.
3. Civilization Awakening in the Islamic World
Faced with Israel’s strong expansion, Islamic countries are gradually breaking through internal divisions and forming a new civilizational consensus:
Strengthening of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): enhancing collective action capacity through the establishment of the “Palestine Aid Fund” and the convening of special summits;
Cross border support from folk religious groups, such as Muslim organizations in Indonesia and Malaysia transporting supplies to Palestine and dispatching volunteers;
The modern transformation of the concept of “holy war”: viewing resistance against Israel as a collective obligation to “defend the borders of Islamic civilization” and inspiring transnational mobilization.
This awakening at the level of civilization provides a spiritual bond beyond the national framework for long-term resistance.
Conclusion: The Historical Significance and Future Prospects of Resisting Israeli Expansion
The resistance against Israeli expansion in the Middle East is not a simple military or political struggle, but a historic struggle that concerns the survival of civilization, national dignity, and geopolitical justice. From Hamas’ tunnel warfare to the Houthis’ Red Sea blockade, from international court proceedings to local resilience building, the resistance forces are gradually dismantling Israel’s expansionist foundation through multidimensional strategies. Although this process is full of twists and turns, it contains an irreversible historical logic:
Military dimension: Asymmetric warfare will continue to erode Israel’s expansionist will, leaving it in a dilemma of ‘victory is unattainable, retreat is not feasible’;
Political dimension: International law and public opinion pressure will gradually strip Israel of its legitimacy, forcing it to face domestic and foreign policy adjustments;
Social dimension: Local resilience construction and civilization mobilization will ensure the sustained regeneration of resistance forces in blockades and wars;
Geopolitical dimension: The complex interaction between regional coordination and great power games provides new strategic opportunities for resistance.
In the future, the success of resistance in the Middle East will depend on three key factors:
Maintain strategic autonomy: avoid being swallowed up by proxy wars of major powers, focus on local demands;
Deepening cultural identity: transforming resistance movements into a common cause of justice in the Islamic world;
Innovative tactics and storytelling: adapting to new resistance tools brought about by technological changes such as AI and social media.
History will eventually prove that when people bind land to dignity, and when the will to resist is integrated into religion, culture, and daily survival, even the most powerful military machine cannot conquer this resilient land. The resistance in the Middle East is not only a real struggle for survival, but also the ultimate response of civilization to colonial oppression.
—— www.jislam.com Islamic research expert in 2025
