EDITORIAL: Israel abruptly resumed its genocidal campaign in Gaza, killing 404 Palestinians and wounding more than 562 others.
Many of the victims were women and children. The Jewish state broke the January 19 ceasefire agreement whilst Qatari and Egyptian mediators were trying to bridge the differences at the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that saw release of 33 Israeli captives and five Thais freed in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas had offered to release all of the remaining 59 Israeli captives in one go, demanding a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, as per the original ceasefire agreement. Instead, Israel decided to call off the second phase of the deal, which would have led to release of its hostages still being held in Gaza. But it chose to renew escalation.
Moved by the turn of events, a former hostage who was freed by Hamas last month though his wife and two young sons were killed in captivity, recalled that while in captivity he heard the sound of explosions around him and feared for his life, afraid that the tunnel where he was being kept in would collapse, to offer this advice to his government: “military pressure endangers hostages, and agreement brings them back” But to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu – wanted by the International Court of Justice, along with his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity – bringing them back has not been a priority issue. His intention was never to make peace, but to fulfill the Zionists’ expansionist designs by exterminating Palestinians in Gaza as well as in the occupied West Bank where settlers backed by Israeli soldiers have been committing unspeakable atrocities.
Unsurprisingly, therefore, Netanyahu has warned of further escalation, saying “this is just the beginning”, and that any future negotiation will occur “under fire”.
As Tel Aviv resumed genocide in Gaza, its forces pressed on with military incursions into West Bank cities and villages. In all this, the US is completely aboard as confirmed by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She told Fox News that Washington had been consulted by Israel on the latest assault.
Aided and abetted by President Trump who, ironically enough, is busy brokering a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine, Israeli plan this time is annihilation of Gaza and West Bank Palestinians as well as their supporters in the region.
While it has been pounding targets in southern Lebanon and Syria, during the last few days the US launched dozens of air raids against pro- Iran Houthis in Yemen, killing at least 53 people. They are being punished for attacks on Israeli linked ships in the Red Sea, which they have been doing in solidarity with the Gaza Palestinians.
President Trump has also threatened Iran of a potential military action against it, saying Iran would be held responsible for “every shot fired by the Houthis…. and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire.” Together with the Zionist state the US seems to be ready to start a new war the consequences of which it may not be able to control.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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