wattWhat should we make of a ceasefire that could have been agreed months ago to save the lives of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the lives of the hostages held, at least in part, by Hamas and its allies? One can only celebrate that, for at least six weeks, Palestinian civilians in Gaza may no longer face regular bombings, hunger and poverty by Israeli forces. For the first time since October 7, 2023, up to 33 hostages and hundreds of prisoners held by Israel will be freed.
At the same time we also have to ask: Why did it take so long? It takes two people to reach any agreement, and there will undoubtedly be some recalcitrance on both sides. However, it has been primarily Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has repeatedly moved the goalposts, adding new conditions despite the persistence of tremendous suffering.
The Israeli government has long said it wants to "destroy Hamas," but this has always been a pipe dream. Demeaning Hamas? Yes, that has been done, but destroy Hamas, an organization that has taken thousands of lives For the better part of two decades, forming and governing Gaza always seemed impossible. However, it changed the perception of Israel's endless occupation, which fueled violent resistance and provided an excuse to continue fighting despite 15 months of terror for the people of Gaza.
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In fact, Israel's military operations have been brutal - destroying entire communities, repeatedly bombing Hamas militants or so-called militants, with little regard for the ensuing civilian casualties, as much of the territory's health care has been destroyed. to destruction, resulting in increased death tolls, and the imposition of near-famine conditions—have proven to be predictable incentives for further recruitment by Hamas.
The Israeli government only weakened Hezbollah in Lebanon but did not "destroy" it and therefore made peace with it. Why not cooperate with Hamas?
The answer lies largely in Netanyahu's personal interests. His hold on power rests with two far-right ministers, Itamar Bengueville and Bezalel Smotrich. They want to gradually annex all land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, and see the Gaza war as an opportunity to drive some 2 million Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt certainly doesn't want them - it has enough economic and security problems already. But Smotrich talks about "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians out of Gaza, meaning conditions inside Gaza are created so dangerous and inhumane that Palestinians feel they have no choice but to flee their homes. like disaster dayOr "Nakba," as the Palestinians called the mass expulsions in 1948, this exodus will be one-way; Israel's goal is to never allow them to return.
Just this week, Ben-Gweil warned that he would leave Netanyahu's government if a ceasefire was reached. He still might. That would threaten not only Netanyahu's power but also his political future and personal freedoms, as an end to the war could mean political retaliation over the intelligence failures that led to the Oct. 7 attack and the completion of the pending trial. liquidation. Corruption charges.
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So what has changed now? The timing suggests an important factor is Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House. He has threatened that "everything will explode" if a deal is not reached.
We never knew what he meant. The idea that he would cut arms sales and military aid to Israel when Joe Biden never did so is a nonstarter. For Palestinians, it is difficult to imagine a more hellish situation short of mass forced expulsions, which will surely lead to further global condemnation of Israel.
Instead, Netanyahu appeared to use Trump's threats as an excuse to insist to his far-right allies that he had no choice but to accept a ceasefire. Whether that excuse is valid remains to be seen. It is outrageous that the fate of two million Gazans depends on such political manipulation.
To be sure, Israel has every right to respond to Hamas’ horrific attacks. But it has no right to respond with such indifference to civilian life - a response that a growing number of governments, human rights groups and academics say amounts to genocide. It has no right to perpetuate a war when its justification as a matter of national security has long since disappeared and the war has become a tool through which one man retains power.
Netanyahu faces charges from the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza. But he also deserves our unabashed condemnation. Let us hope that he goes down in history not just for his willingness to abolish the most basic rules designed to protect civilians from the dangers of war. He must also be seen as a man who accepted countless deaths in order to retain power.