The entire world is expressing concern about the condition of civilians in Gaza following the continuous attacks by the Israel Defense Forces. Many nations and leaders have asked Israel to announce a ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can be taken to the affected people. They would like the hostilities to stop so that there are no more deaths of civilians.
The truth is that Hamas started the war. Hamas can also end it now by releasing the hostages it has in its custody, surrender its weapons and leave Gaza. Its leadership will, very likely, be provided sanctuary in countries that empathise with its cause, such as Qatar, and maybe even Canada, which has great concern for the ‘oppressed’ of the world. So, why is not pressure being applied on Hamas to do what is necessary, if human life is so precious?
Unfortunately, active terrorist groups have carte blanche from much of the human rights constituency. They can be what they are because ‘they are like that only’. It is the victims of such organisations that have to make space for terrorists and radicals in the name of toleration.
It must not be forgotten that Israel is a small nation surrounded by countries that have fought for decades to end its existence. It does not have the ‘strategic depth’ to recover from a serious military setback, so it has developed a doctrine of taking the fight into the enemy’s territory, as also of pre-emptive action. It has made a fetish of ensuring that terrorists never get away with their crimes, no matter where they hide away. It is a very difficult doctrine to implement and the failure to anticipate the Hamas attack has come as a major setback. It has to respond to every attack in a manner that acts as a deterrent for the future, much like the nuclear arsenal some nations have. The very concept of a deterrent is that total annihilation will result, irrespective of how many civilians are rendered victim. So, how can nations that have such a potential response of their own ask Israel to ‘hold back’ in its fight for survival?
So, instead of pressurising Israel, the focus should be on dealing with Hamas. There are countries that have influence with that organisation and it is they who should be asked to play the necessary role. Otherwise, the international community should cooperate with Israel to find ways of flushing them out of the Gaza tunnels.
