The IDF says 626 Israeli soldiers have been killed during the fighting in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023
That hasn’t stopped the Israeli PM from doubling down on his claim that total victory was achievable:
In any case, there is no alternative to military victory. The
attempt to bypass it with this or that claim is simply detached from
reality. There is one alternative to victory – defeat, military,
diplomatic and national defeat. My government will not agree to this.
Meantime the Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant has robustly
insisted that the IDF not be used as an occupying force once the war is
over. “I will,” he said “not agree to military rule in Gaza” and hinted
that perhaps the PA could provide a governance structure ‘the day after’
the fighting ends.
Netanyahu’s extremist ministers quickly jumped on Gallant with
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for him to be sacked.
Not to be outdone by his far right comrade, Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich opined "Defense Minister Gallant effectively announced today
his support for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state as a
reward to terrorism.” Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu chimed in with
the observation that "our heroic soldiers did not die to give the Strip
back to the Nazis."
It is worth recalling that Gallant
himself two days after the 7 October Hamas attack referred to its
fighters as “human animals’ and decreed a complete blockade of food,
water, electricity and medical supplies to the Strip, an action against
the entire civilian population. The statement was used to inform the ICJ
decision ordering Israel to prevent genocide.
As Netanyahu’s cabinet snipes and backbites between themselves US
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is visiting Saudi Arabia and
Israel in pursuit of what many see as a phantasm: the kingdom will
recognise Israel in return for the US providing a NATO-style security
accord, assistance with nuclear reactor projects, and FDI support for
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s fantastically expensive
giga-projects. As their part of the deal the Israelis will accept a
ceasefire and a path towards a two-state solution.
Underlining how anxious President Biden is to secure such an
agreement ahead of November’s election, Sullivan’s entourage includes
the president’s senior Middle East advisor Brett McGurk and another
senior advisor Israeli-born Amos Hochstein.
Given Netanyahu’s intransigence - fuelled at least in part by the
knowledge that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have threatened to bring down his
government should he succumb to US pressure - coupled with the stance
that the Arab League has taken the question needs to be asked who really
is it that is detached from reality? Is it Netanyahu insisting on total
victory or Biden thinking that the Saudis will ignore popular support
for Palestine and rush into the arms of the Israelis?
Those who are not detached and are daily living the horrific reality of constant IDF bombardments and air strikes in Gaza and settler attacks in the West Bank
are the Palestinians. Yet in all the conversations about ‘the day
after’ and with all that they are suffering it is the Palestinians who
are left uninvited to the table. It is as if they simply and
conveniently do not exist.
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