End the bloodshed in Gaza | Editorial
Hamas provoked Israel’s response after it massacred some 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostages, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has waged an indiscriminate assault on Palestinian civilians.
President Joe Biden said a temporary cease-fire could be reached soon in Gaza and more hostages could be released. While Israel and Hamas officials were less optimistic about a deal, let’s hope peace is near because the war has been hell.
Israel was well within its right to root out Hamas terrorists following the brutal Oct. 7 attack. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has waged an all-out assault — killing an estimated 30,000 Palestinians and injuring another 70,000, including many women and children.
Israel’s bombing campaign has destroyed or damaged 70% of Gaza’s 439,000 homes and half of its buildings. Roughly 85% of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents have been displaced.
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Netanyahu may be making gains on the battlefield, but he has lost majority support in his own country and is alienating much of the world. He is also fraying relations with Israel’s staunchest ally, the United States.
To be clear, Hamas provoked Israel’s response after it massacred some 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostages. Targeting Hamas terrorists was the right approach, but a recent poll found that half of U.S. adults think Netanyahu has gone “too far.”
Indeed, the International Court of Justice found it “plausible” that Israel has committed “genocidal acts” in Gaza. Netanyahu denied the findings, but there is no denying the humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
Nearly all the hospitals there have been damaged or destroyed. Many Palestinians are crammed into makeshift camps that lack food, water, and medicine. Families have been left out in the cold with no bathrooms or clean water. The horrific conditions are leading to starvation and the spread of disease.
A 40-day pause in military operations — part of the latest proposal from mediators — would hopefully enable humanitarian aid to get to Gaza along with the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
But then what?
More than one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in the southernmost city of Rafah, yet Netanyahu remains intent on invading in an effort to eliminate Hamas battalions. He said there was a plan to evacuate civilians before attacking, but it did not sound reassuring: “We’ll do our best to get as many of them out.”
Netanyahu said Israel must “destroy Hamas” to secure the future for Palestinians and the Jewish state. “Total victory is how you win the war,” he said.
That means more bloodshed. Roughly 10,000 Palestinian militants have been killed, according to Israeli officials, but the majority of the estimated 30,000 fighters remain intact.
Netanyahu’s focus on eliminating Hamas leaders and military infrastructure is understandable given the terrorist organization’s stated goal is to eradicate Israel. But will Netanyahu’s indiscriminate killing in Gaza ultimately inspire new terrorists and leave Israel less safe? Where is the plan for peace?
Biden has tried to balance public support for Israel while privately pressing for military restraint and a two-state solution. But his tightrope diplomacy has come at great political cost at home, as many young voters and Arab Americans have soured on him over his support for Israel.
While a Biden aide acknowledged mistakes in the administration’s response to the war in Gaza, anyone who thinks Donald Trump would be a better alternative has forgotten his foreign policy failures and his administration’s indifferent approach to human rights abuses abroad.
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Peace in the Middle East has been an elusive goal for many U.S. presidents, and Biden lacks an honest negotiating partner. Netanyahu has rejected calls for a two-state solution while he uses the war to distract from his corruption charges at home. Palestinian leadership on the West Bank, which Biden would like to ultimately take over in Gaza, is weak and undermined by Netanyahu.
Polls show Netanyahu would likely lose an election. To avoid prison, he must stay in power. But to maintain his right-wing coalition, Netanyahu must reject any deal that puts the Palestinians on a political path toward a state alongside Israel.
Yet, Biden’s goal of a two-state solution is the best path forward for Israel and the Palestinians. Getting there will not be easy, but it must start with a cease-fire in Gaza.