The sigh of relief in Israel was brief as the daring rescue of four hostages came with considerable collateral damage, including the deaths of 274 Palestinians. The rescue helped raise the spirit of the people, but it may have done little for the situation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself in as he keeps his country at war in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu declared that the IDF is the most moral military in the world even as the United Nations threatened to place it on a blacklist, along with Hamas, for failing to protect children in war. The operations of Israeli defence forces seem to be causing more and more fatalities among defenceless Palestinian civilians as not a week has gone by in the last eight months without Gaza having to count its dead, the total now beyond 36,000.
Attacks on hospitals, reportedly housing Hamas leaders, and schools, including one run by the UN, have been struck in this culture of impunity that is deeply embedded in the likes of Mr Netanyahu. The hostage rescue was accompanied by the heaviest air and ground strikes since October 7 and left behind large swathes of the town of Nuseirat in central Gaza in rubble.
Only a little over half of 120 hostages taken on October 7 are thought to be alive, but their rescue, even if it comes with the dazzling Israeli bravado of being the world’s top strategist in hostage rescue situations, is an emotional issue for Israelis who are gathering by the thousands every day in Tel Aviv to protest.
Far from achieving stated objectives of rubbing out Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, Israel is only getting into a morass of military action in Gaza even as its northern border with Lebanon is being increasingly threatened by Hezbollah strikes with missiles.
With war cabinet member Benny Gantz of the National Unity Party calling for dissolution of the Knesset and far-right sections of the cabinet threatening to quit and bring down the government, Mr Netanyahu is totally beleaguered as his future as PM is tied to the war continuing.
Only the knowledge that in an election year none of the contenders in the US can afford to withdraw their support to Israel propels Mr Netanyahu further into military operations without an end as an exchange of hostages and prisoners in a peace proposal awaits a nod from the Israeli government.
