Daily Times

The Biden administration is finalizing its last and final offer for a ceasefire and return of the hostages held in Gaza by Hamas. This comes after the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) recovered the bodies of six hostages presumably shot dead just before they could be rescued. One was an American.

In Israel, massive protests and strikes broke out over the failure of the Netanyahu administration to retrieve the remaining hundred or so hostages still being held by Hamas. It is almost eleven months since they were taken captive. Tragically, their fate and well-being remain unknown.

Whether or not Prime Minister Netanyahu will take reprisals against Hamas for these murders remains to be seen. In the United States, students are returning to colleges and universities. Whether further Israeli violence levelled against Palestinians in the war on Hamas in Gaza will erupt on campuses in riots and protests similar to or greater than likewise is uncertain. But with the November elections approaching and the presidential campaigns becoming more vicious, what happened last Spring could too easily reoccur. That could also affect the elections

The overriding contradiction that makes any responsible solution to the war in Gaza virtually impossible to imagine is based on delusions.

The overriding contradiction that makes any responsible solution to the war in Gaza virtually impossible to imagine is based on delusions. First is the delusion that Hamas wants a lasting ceasefire. The proposed sixty days will give Hamas breathing room for resupply and consolidation. The IDF says it is prepared for that.

But Hamas has no interest in a viable end to the war. The war is exhausting an already overstressed IDF. Lebanon, Syria, Hezbollah and Iran remain high on the threat list for Israel. So a temporary ceasefire merely sets a date for a restart of hostilities.

The more Palestinians who are killed, the more Israel will be seen by much of the outside world as a pariah. And the more casualties on all sides, the more pressure will be placed on the Netanyahu government to change policy and indeed for a new one to form.

Moreover, hostages are vital chips in this cynical game for Hamas. A few can be spent on occasion to achieve whatever ends Hamas wishes. However, not too many will be used so that the pile will eventually be reduced to zero.

Netanyahu has no incentive for peace other than on his terms. To believe otherwise is a delusion. Hamas is unlikely to concede to an agreement in which all hostages are immediately released. It is to Hamas’ benefit to keep some, whether dead or alive. Some Israelis believe that if the Netanyahu government falls, Bibi will be subject to legal action and even jail if convicted.

The Biden administration is also trapped in a delusion. It believes it can both support Israel and yet contain the carnage it is imposing on Palestinians, many of whom detest Hamas. The polio outbreak adds to this humanitarian disaster. Republicans will continue to attack the Biden administration for failing to provide all the weapons and support Israel needs to “win” the war against Hamas.

This is another delusion: namely that Hamas will be destroyed and this “war” can be won. Hamas is part of Gaza’s DNA and a political force that governed Gaza for decades. Interestingly, Netanyahu was supportive of Hamas as a counterweight to the PLO and other radical organizations. To destroy Hamas means destroying much of Gaza and killing Palestinians OR creating a new political organization to replace Hamas. This organization would have the responsibility of providing governance.

That is also a delusion: that a new organization can be created whole and inserted into Gaza. Given all these delusions, is there any way out of this tragic nightmare? Only one comes to mind.

Will the Israeli people finally demand a new government that is prepared to accept a two-state solution and find an end to the war? Part of any solution must include some form of detente or rapprochement with the Saudis and other Gulf states who might be persuaded to contribute to rebuilding Gaza and finding a suitable government that can govern.

The final delusion is that both Republicans and Democrats believe each has solutions to this crisis that the other does not. Donald Trump asserts he can end the Ukraine War in a day. But does anyone have a realistic idea of how to end the Gaza War?

The answer suffers no delusions. It is no. And as all wars will end, so will the war in Gaza end. But at what costs and what consequences? Those answers are truly frightening and still impossible to find.

The writer is a senior advisor at Washington, DC’s Atlantic Council and a published author.