Gaza: the 4-day pause

EDITORIAL: It says a lot that the 4-day pause agreed between Hamas and IDF (Israeli Defence Forces), brokered principally by Qatar and Egypt and blessed, of course, by the US, ran into a delay even before it was enforced and fighting raged Thursday morning, when it was supposed to stop to allow prisoner exchange and humanitarian aid into Gaza.

And it’s no surprise that the complications came from the Israeli side which, apparently, wants as high a body count as possible for Netanyahu to keep the pot boiling at home, where he faces very serious criticism from opposition parties as well as the public for not just his handling of the war, but also the way he’s been running the country.

Regardless, the international community seems to have realised that a truce, however short-lived, is necessary for the world’s leading countries, which continue to support and arm Israel’s campaign of genocide, to retain a shred of credibility.

Let’s not forget that four days are not nearly enough to get the kind of aid into Gaza that it needs right now, but it is a necessary start given that people are now without all of life’s necessities – medicines, shelter, food, water, etc.

It’s also important to consider how this truce has been engineered. Russia first suggested something like this early in the fighting, only to be shot down by both Israel and America because of their own obvious political considerations.

Then, a Biden administration struggling to keep its own Democratic party together as Washington went all out in support of Israel so close to the US presidential election was forced to consider a peace window, and make Israel accept it as well.

But what now? Israel has made it clear enough that it will not stop till it completely wipes out Hamas. And since targeting supplies is an essential part of its heartless campaign, there’s every reason to believe that IDF planes and personnel will hit the same aid that will wriggle into Gaza over the next four days once the truce ends.

There is some chatter about extending the peace for a few days every time Hamas releases a few more hostages. Yet there’s only so far this can continue if Gazans can expect the fierce fighting to resume after every few days. So this peace, though desperately needed, is untenable.

It’s already clear that global powers, led by the US, will have to go much further to bring about a lasting solution. They will no longer be able to treat this episode in isolation.

Instead, the truth about the occupation and Israel’s apartheid regime, long misrepresented by the powerful, savage western media, will need to be debated more openly.

People will also question America’s unwavering support for Israel, even in the face of the most barbaric state terrorism of modern times.

And far from eliminating Hamas, Israel will have to be forced to put the two-state solution back on the table. Otherwise, if it continues to kill innocent, helpless civilians and sell it as war on Hamas, the likelihood of dragging other countries into the conflict will incrementally increase.

The responsibility of containing this mess ultimately rests with the US. For, it is Washington’s blind cheque to Tel Aviv that enables the latter to do what it wants and get away with it.

Now, though, the tipping point seems to have come and if the American government continues to support and arm Israel’s genocide, then the entire Middle East will become much uglier before things even begin to get any better.

The way the 4-day truce is observed will foretell a lot about the manner of things to come.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023