The Gaza truce has been a short lived one. The Israel Hamas war has resumed in full fury. Meanwhile, America has vetoed the Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. The US ambassador said that a permanent ceasefire without dismantling Hamas would sow the seeds of a future conflict.

Britain abstained but 13 other members voted in favour of an immediate halt. The US sided with the view of Israel that without eradicating Hamas, lasting peace is not possible. Israel had international sympathy when it launched the campaign to annihilate Hamas, whose fighters stormed across the border on 7 October and killed 1200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and seized 240 hostages. In retaliation, Israel relentlessly bombed Gaza causing death of more than 20,000 Palestinians and injuries to more than 50,000.

Many thousands more are feared lost in rubble or beyond the reach of ambulances. There is an international outcry at this fury of Israel and brutal punishment of the civilians for the terrorist attacks by Hamas. But Israel remains undaunted and determined to carry on the war despite international pressures. Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel will carry on the war until Hamas is annihilated and Israel’s decisions will be based on operational considerations. No doubt, dismantling of Hamas is going to be a tough and long drawn out affair and Israel’s defence minister Yoav Gallant has repeatedly said that Israel will not be swayed by international criticisms and will carry on the war till “its goals are reached”. Israel’s obduracy is seriously perturbing America.

In fairly blunt criticism, President Biden has criticised the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza by Israel and its lack of interest in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. America’s National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan visited Gaza to discuss with Israeli leaders a time table for ending the fighting. He also emphasised the need to make airstrikes by Israel more accurate and not indiscriminate, causing heavy loss of human lives.

It has been estimated that up to 45 per cent of the 29,000 airto-ground munitions dropped by Israel in Gaza since October 7 have been unguided dumb bombs. Heavy fighting is going on in North Gaza where Hamas fighters are putting up tough resistance. Now Israel’s Defence Minister says that fighting may drag on for months and no end is in sight. The Israeli army is also sustaining losses in heavy fighting in Northern Gaza. Israeli officers say that several hundred Israeli soldiers have lost their lives.

On 12 December, the Israeli army suffered one of its highest single day casualties when 10 of its soldiers lost their lives. Soldiers’ deaths are a very emotional and sensitive topic in Israel, a small country with compulsory military service. Israeli army leaders estimate that relentless bombing of Gaza and mounting civilian deaths and sufferings will demoralise Hamas and turn the Palestinians away from them.

But that has not happened. Support for Hamas among the bitter and estranged Palestinians has gone up. An opinion poll shows that both in Gaza and in the West Bank, a majority of the Palestinians are supportive of Hamas and disapprove of the Western-backed Dr Mahmud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority. This shows that the American and Israeli plan of eradication of Hamas as well as creation of a Palestinian state will face heavy weather. There is mounting international criticism of Israel. South Africa has initiated proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice saying that its operations in Gaza amount to genocide, a move that has been welcomed by the Palestinians. Israel has rejected South Africa’s move as a “blood libel”.

But America is standing by Israel and the Biden administration has approved an emergency weapons sale to Israel bypassing the Congress. There has been an escalation of hostilities in the occupied West Bank as well. Israeli officials have threatened full scale war on Hezbollah if attacks on Israel’s North continue. Israel’s openly discussed and well-defined plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza and detach it from the Palestinian homeland and to displace the Palestinians in the West Bank will have disastrous repercussions and sow the seeds of a future conflict. As Israel ramps up its operations there is tension with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border and there is the risk of war spilling over. There has been a proposal by Egypt and also by Qatar to resolve the conflict. But neither is moving forward.

The proposals call for release of hostages and a political resolution of the conflict. However, Israel still wants to press ahead with its military goal of crushing Hamas. Indeed, many believe that Gaza cannot be stabilised till Mr Netanyahu reigns as the prime minister. The far-right coalition he heads refuses to do anything to rebuild or expand the Palestinian Authority’s role. A credible two-state solution will lead Saudi Arabia as well as other moderate Arab states to normalise relations with Israel and help the cause of peace and security of the region. Of course, it will also bring peace to Israe

(The writer is Senior Fellow Institute of Social Sciences, a former Director General of the National Human Rights Commission and former Director, National Police Academy)