The 22-nation Arab League — which includes members such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Somalia, and Syria — last week condemned Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel. That declaration, of course, included a call for a Palestinian “state” and — unusually — called for Hamas to disarm. None of which is going to happen.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would take over Gaza City. It already controls about 75 percent of the Gaza Strip. Nations such as France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as I wrote last week, have issued calls for a declaration of a Palestinian state at the U.N. meeting in September if Israel doesn’t call a cease-fire. (RELATED: Why Are We in the UN?)
Germany is cutting off the supply of arms to Israel. That may have little effect on the Netanyahu government, as did the calls for a Palestinian state.
Israel has no choice other than to take control of the entire Gaza Strip. If it doesn’t, Hamas will again control the government.
Israel has no choice other than to take control of the entire Gaza Strip. If it doesn’t, Hamas will again control the government there and rebuild its tunnels so that another 7 October attack can occur. The European nations want to ignore this fact. The calls for a Palestinian state have had their own effects. (RELATED: Europe Learned the Wrong Lesson From the October 7 Attack)
Hamas rejected any plan for the release of its hostages and a cease-fire quickly after Macron’s statement.
As Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on 7 August, “Well, if you noticed, the talks with Hamas fell apart the day (French President) Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognize a Palestinian state. And then you have other countries, say, well if there’s not a cease-fire by September, we’re going to recognize a Palestinian state. Well, if I’m Hamas, I’ve basically concluded let’s not do a cease-fire.”
Sir Keir Starmer, U.K. Prime Minister, said in regard to Israel’s plan to take over Gaza, “This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.” How does he know?
Starmer has no knowledge about whether the hostages will be rescued or otherwise released. He’s playing to the Muslim population of Britain and international opinion, as are Macron and the prime minister of Canada.
Hamas still holds about 20 living hostages who are being starved and tortured. We all saw the photos — released by Hamas — of Evyatar David, who was being forced to dig his own grave. There is no word on whether he is still alive. Hamas also holds about 30 bodies of hostages murdered in its captivity.
The Arab League’s position is a false one. They know that the Israelis are dead set against a Palestinian state. Hamas takes strength from the opinions of the Europeans, such as the U.K., France, and Germany, and from the position of Canada, which also called for a Palestinian state. It also takes strength from the Arab League’s position.
As I stated above, the Israelis have no choice other than to seize control of Gaza City and the rest of the Strip. Hamas, as Marco Rubio said, doesn’t want a cease-fire except on its own terms, which would, among other things, require a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Israel doesn’t want to control Gaza. If it does, there will be clamoring for it to rebuild Gaza. But the Israelis withdrew entirely from Gaza in 2005 and were repaid for it by the 7 October 2023 attacks that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages. Israel should not rebuild Gaza. It should leave it to the international “charities” and NGOs to do. Israel cannot stand for a repeat of the 7 October attacks, so it is left with the necessity of seizing the entire Gaza Strip to prevent a repeat of those attacks.
Israeli television reported Saturday night that U.S. and Qatari negotiators are trying to get Hamas to agree to an 11th-hour cease-fire in which the Gaza City takeover will be prevented if all the remaining hostages are released. The proposal also reportedly includes a complete Israeli withdrawal (which, as explained here, cannot happen) and disarmament of Hamas (which won’t happen as long as Hamas exists). (RELATED: So Let’s Say Israel Agrees to Full Withdrawal and All Hamas’s Demands)
There can be no peace, not even a ceasefire, while Hamas still exists. It cannot be allowed to resume its Gaza government. If it did, it would ensure — as Hamas has said — that another 7 October would be planned and executed.
The BBC has opined — and passed it off as news — that Israel is, by its plan to take over Gaza City, expanding the war. There is no expansion of the war in Israel’s plan. It is doing what it deems necessary to prevent any recurrence of the 7 October attacks. We, and the Europeans, should not stand in its way.
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