Israel’s planned takeover of Gaza would be an act of destructive futility. It would solve absolutely nothing. It will merely pile fresh military, humanitarian and political problems on to the mounds of those already created in the conflict. It will make every human's agony worse, not better. Governments around the world must do whatever they can – the US above all – to stop it.
There is still time. The plan announced on Friday is for an operation to take military control of Gaza City, home to a million displaced Palestinians. They will be forcibly evacuated, yet again, to the southern Gaza Strip over the coming weeks. Aid distribution is certain to be a secondary consideration, logistically challenging and woefully inadequate for a population where malnutrition is already severe. The threat to life in Gaza, including to the remaining Israeli hostages captured on 7 October 2023, will get much worse.
Friday’s announcement leaves open the question of whether the operation will be extended later to the entire Gaza Strip. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said this is his wish. The current decision to limit the takeover seems to reflect objections from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chiefs. But there is no guarantee that an even larger takeover will not then follow. Mr Netanyahu always ratchets up. The sum of his choices amounts to perpetual war.
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