Israel won only the body count…

One thing is crystal clear about the state of the Middle East following the implementation of a ceasefire yesterday between Israel and Hamas to pause the carnage in Gaza. And that is: this is by no means over.

The Israeli military may have razed most of Gaza, leaving it looking like Germany at the end of the World War II, but it did not succeed either in destroying Hamas, or in forcing the Palestinians in Gaza to abandon their support for the movement.

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Certainly, the Israelis may have won the body count… even if they discount the Gaza authority’s assertion that 46 000 people perished since 7 October 2023, then thousands of people, including civilians and children, died in the territory.

The Israelis would do well to remember a military expert’s summation of the liberation struggle in Rhodesia: Ian Smith’s military may have won the body count, but they lost the war…

What the brutal retaliation did against Gaza – and how can you not describe it as a genocide? – was create legions of angry people right across the Middle East who will not rest until Israel is destroyed. How long can the Israelis try to hold back that tide of history?

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At the same time, thanks must be offered up for the release of the hostages held by Hamas, as well as a thought in memory of those civilians slaughtered in the surprise attacks. How can you not call that terrorism?

There must be a commitment from both sides to talking to each other and this should be bolstered by the international community and particularly the Arab community in the region. Qatar is an example of how outsiders, acting as honest brokers, can achieve results.

The last 15 months has, however, widened the gulf and we fear it may be too late to achieve a peace which will last.

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