It’s time for the Israel-Hamas War to end

Israel did not start the war in Gaza. It defended itself after Hamas’ vicious murders, rapes, and kidnappings on October 7, 2023.

The war’s two stated aims were the return of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas, a terrorist organisation which rules Gaza and is constitutionally committed to Israel’s complete destruction.

In October, the war was as justified as war can be. Any country attacked in this way would have done the same, and Western governments comprehensively supported Israel’s right to defend itself.

But if the initial reasons for the war are clear, the case for it continuing as we pass the six month mark is no longer convincing. Israel did not start the war, but Israel must end it now, for its own sake as well as for any hope for a peaceful future.

Fundamentally, the Israel-Hamas War has been a failure.  It has not achieved the release of the hostages and it has not – and never could have – eliminated Hamas. In part, this is because the two stated aims are contradictory: Israel needs Hamas to be intact and functioning to be able to return the hostages.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have achieved as much as they could in disabling Hamas temporarily, but they have done so at a terrible and continuing cost to Gazan civilians, to Israel’s commitment to human rights, and to Israel’s international standing. Israelis have also paid a significant price in IDF casualties and in the displacement of about 100,000 residents from the Gaza border and the north.