It’s been a nightmare and it just got worse. Today’s horror, in which starving Palestinians rushed a rare humanitarian aid station, trampling each other out of desperation when IDF soldiers fired into the crowd resulting in over a hundred dead and 800 injured is one of the worst yet. There can’t be any more vivid example of just how out of control the war has become or a greater necessity for Israel to put an end to this nightmare right now. They are not going to “eliminate Hamas” through attrition and creating a more and more desperate population is only going to radicalize even more of them. They have more than made their point and have, in the process, revealed themselves to be ruthless and brutal, giving up much of whatever moral authority they had left. This is indefensible, even in light of the terrorist attack on October 7th.
The Biden administration said they had been on the verge of a ceasefire agreement and this may have thrown a monkey wrench into it. It seems logical, but some observers are saying that this incident may illustrate just how extreme the humanitarian crisis is and may propel the US and its allies to change the policy of public support while privately pressuring the Israeli government while trying to keep a lid on the region. The US can’t stand by as Gaza is being designated as one step away from famine by the World Health Organization and dropping food supplies by air, which they are now proposing, isn’t going to solve the larger problem.
This may be a watershed moment that changes the trajectory of this entire crisis. I understand Israel’s angst and fear after October 7th. But just as the US overreacted to Sept. 11th, they too have overreacted and it’s led them down the same path. The US may have been trying to pressure the Israelis privately but the results so far have not been promising. It’s time for a change in course.