Editorial
Israel's aggression in Gaza
Chances for peace in Middle East pushed to the brink
THE aggressive actions of the Israeli government against Hamas in the last one week have been as outrageous as they have been morally upsetting for all men and women of conscience across the globe. As matters stand, Israeli strikes have killed an altogether 429 people, with casualty figures rising all the time. More than 2000 Palestinians have been wounded, most of them severely. Buildings, including a mosque, scores of homes and offices have been razed to the ground. Utility services have been disrupted, with the Israeli military or government showing no remorse or let-up in its actions. Targeted assassinations of senior Hamas leaders have been carried out. Indeed, individuals such as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Ehud Barak have vowed to continue these operations until, in their opinion, Hamas is destroyed.
Particularly mortifying is the fact that western governments, notably Washington, have done precious little or nothing to make Israel desist from its actions. Despite the fact that a United Nations agency has reported that more than a quarter of the people killed in the Israeli raids are civilians, not many in the West have seen any reason to call for a halt to the onslaught. With Israeli forces massing for a ground assault on Gaza, which Hamas has been controlling in defiance of the authority of the Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, there is growing concern about a further escalation of the conflict. The Israelis have defended their actions by suggesting that it was Hamas which first launched rocket attacks on Israeli targets. But quite clearly it is the very large and destructive dimension of Israel's response to the Hamas rocket fire that has stunned the world. Even more stunning has been the muted response of Arab governments to the Israeli onslaught. What has, of course, surprised everyone is the defiance with which Hamas has been responding to the attacks. To what extent it will be able to sustain such a response is, however, to be seen.
Which raises the very crucial question of what the international community must now do to put Israel on a leash. Tel Aviv may win the battle against Hamas in the short term. It is the ramifications of its actions in the longer term that are of concern. In this past week, the chances of peace in the Middle East, slim as they always have been, have further been pushed to the brink. That is the tragedy.
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