The American newspaper The Washington Post said that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in Israel this week carrying a message to its leaders to “alleviate the misery in Gaza and plan for its future,” and that President Joe Biden, through his rhetorical and material support for Israel, wants to influence its leaders in order to see beyond their anger and desire to Eliminating “terrorists” in Gaza, and turning to vital humanitarian aid.”
The measures sought by the Americans – according to the newspaper – include reducing civilian deaths, improving conditions for displaced Palestinians, and planning for a post-war system that provides dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians, by laying the foundation for a Palestinian state not dominated by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).
The newspaper described in some detail the devastation that the afflicted Gaza Strip had become, after Israel poured tens of thousands of bombs, ammunition and shells on it, as a result of which more than 23,000 of its residents were martyred and 85% of them were displaced, about 70% of its homes and half of its buildings and roads were destroyed, and its hospitals were demolished. And its schools, and the rest of its infrastructure.
Despite all this, it is still unknown how effective the Israeli military attack is in disrupting the Hamas movement – as the newspaper says – even though Israeli officials claim that they have dismantled its military capabilities in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli officials say that they are reducing the fighting, despite the fact that the military operations are fierce in central and southern Gaza, to which the Palestinians fled, and at the same time Hamas is still detaining more than 100 Israelis, whose release, along with an end to Hamas’ rule in Gaza, constitutes a precondition for any realistic truce. , according to the newspaper.
American pressure led Israel to allow aid to cross its borders with Gaza, in addition to crossing Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
But there is still an urgent need to prioritize the entry of more aid trucks, as well as to ensure the safety of those responsible for them inside Gaza, after the aid trucks were raided while crossing the Strip.
However, these are short-term measures – as the Washington Post believes – and in the long term Gaza needs to rebuild on the physical level, but also on the political and social level.
Therefore, Israel must now realize that there is no reasonable, long-term settlement with the Palestinians that does not include the establishment of a Palestinian state, after the failure of all alternative methods of direct occupation, siege, and various forms of limited Palestinian autonomy.
The American newspaper concluded that President Biden, Israel, the Arab countries, and all other actors must strive to give the people of Gaza hope that it is possible to make something better out of ruin, otherwise what emerges from despair will, of course, be ugly.
