By Janet Ekstract NEW YORK – In a breaking report from CNN, Palestinian authorities reported that more than 50 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday night, on a U.N.-run school in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Central Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel had hit areas in Lebanon with phosphorous gas while Hezbollah claimed responsibility for an attack in northern Israel where multiple people were injured. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has been unwilling to end his military’s offensive and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant echoed that resolve not to engage in any ceasefire and hostage release talks. Meanwhile, mass protests in Israel over Netanyahu’s handling of the situation has seen protesters blame the Israeli leader for only wanting to stay in power and not caring about the hostages. A majority of Israelis including the families of hostages still being held in Gaza, have urged Netanyahu to take the truce deal outlined by President Biden last Friday, in a televised address from the White House where the U.S. president called for an ”end” to the war.
According to analysts, what most of the public, fails to understand is the motivation behind Netanyahu’s actions. His far-right government placates extremist ministers who already threatened to topple his government despite opposition leader Yair Lapid promising to support Netanyahu if he takes the truce deal Biden laid out. Netanyahu has no desire to withdraw Israeli troops from Gaza which is what Hamas was calling for. While Hamas views Biden’s plan “positively” it said, Hamas leaders are insisting on a permanent ceasefire with a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied Gaza Strip. The conflict has polarized populations worldwide with mass pro-Palestinian protests and many university students calling for Palestinians and Israelis to unite for a two-state solution which is what the U.N. and the international community have reiterated is necessary to guarantee security for both Israelis and Palestinians. In a statement from Hamas that CNN obtained, Hamas said after seeing the most recent proposal, that it “turned out to be devoid of the positive foundations contained in Biden’s statements.” Hamas further stated: “It does not guarantee a permanent ceasefire, but rather a temporary one” and that it would allow Israeli forces to remain in Gaza. Netanyahu’s office said that Biden only presented a “partial outline” of the Israeli proposal.
The issue in Israel is rising nationalistic sentiment in a number of quarters throughout the country that has most recently seen huge crowds of young Israeli nationalists forcing their way through Muslim areas of Old Jerusalem during a controversial annual flag-flying march. There have also been ubiquitous violent incidents of extremist Jewish settlers attacking Palestinians on their own property, destroying their homes, physically beating them and setting cars and homes on fire. The moderate voices that do exist in Israel and the U.S. get drowned out by the vociferousness of the far-right who will stop at nothing to see the destruction of Palestinians. Israel’s two top far-right ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have openly said they favor sending Palestinians out of Gaza permanently and are already planning for Jewish settlement in Gaza. Meanwhile, Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. mediators are attempting to revive truce negotiations amidst this new escalation by the Israeli military in Rafah.
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