Israel has resumed its genocidal war in Gaza, shattering a fragile ceasefire and unleashing a barrage of airstrikes. The renewed offensive has claimed 404 lives and displaced thousands, escalating tensions in the region.
Gideon Levy, Haaretz columnist and Israeli journalist, sharply criticised the operation, calling it a continuation of Israel’s genocidal war rather than a mission to free hostages.
“There’s no doubt that this operation is just an expression of aggression,” Levy stated, in an interview with Salaamedia on Wednesday. “It’s just another stage in the genocide in Gaza. It has nothing to do with releasing the hostages, because Israel tried, for 17 months, to release the hostages through military operations and it failed.”
He stressed that negotiations, not military action, are the only path to resolving the hostage crisis, warning that “this operation … does endanger the lives of the remaining hostages and, above all, it risks the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza”.
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Genocidal war
Levy also pointed the finger at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of sabotaging peace efforts. “I, from Day 1, knew that the second phase [of the ceasefire] will not be implemented because Netanyahu did not want to put an end to this war,” he said.
“It was very clear throughout the negotiations that he [was] ready to release hostages in order to ease the atmosphere in Israel … and then he will renew the war.”
The resumption of Israel’s genocidal war has sparked global outrage, with the United Nations holding emergency talks and protests erupting within Israel and elsewhere.
In Gaza, the airstrikes have devastated infrastructure, leaving hospitals overwhelmed and humanitarian conditions dire. The Palestinian health ministry reports over 400 deaths, including many civilians, since the offensive restarted.
For a deeper dive into this escalating crisis, watch the video below:
Image: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
