It really is baffling that the calls for a ceasefire never addresses how a permanent ceasefire could be achieved.
It’s very simple, Hamas must release all the hostages, give up their weapons and surrender : all fire would stop immediately and Israel and the Palestinians would be guaranteed peace. All other talk is just nonsense, like putting a sticking plaster on a festering and gaping wound, No sovereign state can tolerate an organisation such as Hamas on their border.
Every civilian death in Gaza is a tragedy that could be avoided if Hamas surrendered. The tragic deaths of young Israeli soldiers who were forced into this defensive war is the responsibility of Hamas. Even the terrible mistake of shooting our own hostages was caused by Hamas.
Some might, and do argue that the creation of Hamas was caused by Israel and the occupation, but if you take time to examine closely how this situation came about , you will see and understand that this is not about the occupation, as that could have been over on so many occasions, when a state was offered and refused by the Palestinians.
This is situation has come about by the refusal of the Arabs to accept the state of Israel and an effort that has spanned over 70 years to reverse the outcome of the 1948 War of Independence. The Arabs have time and time again come back to attack Israel, and lost every time but continue with this fantasy that they will drive the Jews into the sea.
This dream of theirs has cost them dearly and has cost Israel and the whole region dearly. There can be no Palestinian state without Israeli security. No sane person would invite a hungry tiger into their home and that is what the world is asking Israel to do. All the time the Palestinians do not accept the state of Israel, the possibility of a Palestinian State is not realistic. We will not assist them in annihilating us .
Most neighbouring countries now accept that Israel is going nowhere, and if they want to improve their economies and their living standards, which they now do, war is not the way forward. They are even beginning to recognise that keeping the Palestinians are pawns in a proxy war with Israel damages them and all prospects for the future. Iran is a different story and their hand is all over the Middle East.
The Yemenite Houthi are playing a very dangerous game . Attacking ships in the Red Sea has now brought a coalition of 10 western nations together against the Iranian backed Houthi. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in Africa and the Middle East where over 48% of the people are already below the poverty line.
It is another example like Gaza, where the welfare of the people is of no importance to those in power. The Houthi are trying to upset all economic co-operation between the US and Saudi Arabia. This is now backfiring and bringing into fruition the proposed rail route between India and Europe via the Middle East which will link Israel, Jordan, Saudi and UAE. A real own goal , that will compensate for the Red Sea shipping route, while cutting their own throats as the US is moving destroyers in the Red Sea to back up the USS Mason and the USS Carney. An overland road route is presently compensating for the distrusted marine route of transferring goods. The political pressure in Jordan is leading them to deny their participation , but truck drivers have confirmed that goods are travelling overland.
The US may put pressure on Israel to minimise civilian casualties, but when their own personnel and shipping routes are threatened you will see no such caution. 200,000 Iraqis were killed through the direct actions of the US in Iraq and tens of thousands died due to the lack of health care in the aftermath. Approximately 200,000 were killed or injured by the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. Not to mention the near 2 million that died during the Vietnam war !
The US are not known for their caution. Biden has one eye on the election so Is warning Israel to be cautious to placate his liberal left wing voters. He may even hold back as they do not want to be pulled into a major conflict at this time, but if the Houthi continue their belligerence we are likely to see a major flare up.
There is a mass exodus of shipping companies from the Red Sea, including BP after one of its chemical tankers was targeted. Europe will likely feel a knock on effect in rising prices as the shipping routes are disrupted.The loss in worldwide trade is already estimated at $3 billion!
129 hostages remain in Gaza, including the two small siblings and eleven foreign nationals. Ten of the hostages are over 75 and there is still no current information on their condition. Israel is under extreme pressure to either find and rescue the hostages or come to another deal with Hamas that would see them released. We do know that Islamic Jihad are holding some of the hostages as they have released a video in order to put pressure on the government. There are rumours that a deal is being negotiated. Hamas are running like rats from a fire now to try to secure a ceasefire but Israel is only considering a pause in the fighting of one week in exchange for 40 hostages .
Meanwhile, Israel is yet to damage Hamas sufficiently to stop the rocket fire and has not yet totally safeguarded the country . A barrage of rockets was launched on the centre of the country and while the fire is much less than previously, it continues hourly.
The fire from the north continues and Israel returns fire in a bid to destroy the rocket launchers and Hezbollah sites. It is thought that a mass attack of drones is possible . It is believed that Hezbollah has around 200,000 drone in Lebanon. Those evacuated from near the border are not clear to go home.
Carolyne Davis