After more than a year of war and humanitarian crises in several parts of the Middle East, there were hopes that the recent ceasefire deal in Lebanon could – if it endures – be the domino that begins a wider process of de-escalation. Although the truce there is coming under increasing pressure owing to repeated ceasefire breaches, it is still the closest to a diplomatic “win” seen in many months.
In nearby Gaza, however, the continuing brutalisation of the Palestinian people highlights a comparative lack of diplomatic skill and effort to stem the tide of suffering. On Monday, the UN's agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, said it would suspend aid delivery through the southern Karam Abu Salem border crossing, Gaza's primary route for humanitarian assistance, after the seizure and looting of lorries by armed groups.
In northern Gaza, a days-long siege by Israeli forces of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia saw the medical complex struck by a bomb-laden drone. Near-constant strikes have forced surgeons to use unreliable bottled oxygen in operations and the World Health Organisation says a nurse, an X-ray technician and an administrative employee are among those injured. Although many donor countries are doing their best – and the UAE remains the leading country when it comes to supplying and delivering aid, in addition to the work it is doing treating sick and injured Palestinians – it is clear that Israel’s operation is more punitive than strategic.
This is borne out not only by the appalling loss of life among Palestinian civilians but also by the tragic deaths of more Israeli hostages in Gaza. Yesterday, the Israeli military said its forces had recovered the body of 38-year-old Itay Svirsky who was kidnapped on October 7 last year. On Wednesday, Israeli sources said the deaths of six others hostages whose bodies were found in August were probably linked to an Israeli airstrike against Hamas near where the captives were being held. The continuing fatalities among the hostages stand in stark contrast to the almost 80 Israelis released by their Hamas captors in November last year as part of a mediated process. Instead of a ceasefire and talks being used to free Israeli civilians, overwhelming force is being deployed instead – with fatal and counter-productive effects.
As things stand, there is nothing more for Israel to gain by repeatedly pounding Gaza. On the contrary, the diplomatic, legal, economic and moral costs of its actions now far outweigh any strategic or military calculations. Already, several among the country’s leadership face international legal accusations of committing war crimes and reject a two-state solution. Yet, the vast majority of regional and international opinion favours a ceasefire and steps towards a two-state settlement of the conflict.
This week, the UAE’s permanent representative to the UN Mohamed Abushahab told the UN General Assembly that there needs to be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. Meanwhile, a tentative plan for Palestinian unity in the form of a joint Fatah-Hamas committee to run Gaza at least holds out the possibility of establishing an administration there that would have some legitimacy among the Palestinian people. Qatar, too, has re-engaged with the issue, with reports that it will resume its mediation role with Hamas. These represent a nascent process of de-escalation that is there to be engaged with.
If Israeli and Hamas leaders continue to ignore these opportunities to end the war, more loss, suffering and strategic failures will follow. The time to end this war is now.
