Israel has relentlessly pursued its goal of dismantling Hamas, at the expense, many claim, of liberating its own hostages. Given the critical reaction of Mr Netanyahu’s far-right allies to the agreement with Lebanon and the visceral attitudes held towards Hamas by a large majority of Israelis across the political divide, an end to the fighting in Gaza appears politically untenable for the Israeli prime minister for now.
Hamas appears in no real rush to give in, either. Despite raised hopes on several occasions that a ceasefire was close at hand, the fighting continues, even though the group has also seen its leadership wiped out, its abilities mostly crushed, and, most importantly, a land and people it purportedly seeks to lead subjected to horrifying devastation.
“Give peace a chance,” went the old John Lennon and Yoko Ono song. In Gaza, neither Israel nor Hamas appears anywhere close to doing so.
Carl Skadian, a former journalist and editor for 30 years, is Senior Associate Director at the Middle East Institute, NUS.
