Hamas is indeed a terrorist organisation that committed crimes against humanity on October 7 but the scale of Israel's retribution has now gone too far.
Two-thirds of Gaza's housing stock has been damaged or destroyed. Around 17,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Israel may believe that it needs to demonstrate that any attack will be met with lethal and overwhelming force but this strategy may backfire.
Already the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on the Security Council to debate a ceasefire while US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is increasingly signalling his country's alarm over the Gaza offensive. Israel is at risk of losing its friends.
Israel Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has admitted that he does not know what the endgame is and that the IDF will probably need to stay in Gaza indefinitely. So, in effect, Gaza will be incorporated into Greater Israel. Then what will happen to the West Bank?
This is probably what Netanyahu's right-wing allies want but it threatens the long-term survival of Israel. Israel should listen to its true friends and start negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza. It is long overdue.
Quote of the day: "Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe."
John Milton
The English poet was born on December 9, 1608
