According to Omer Bartov, a strong supporter of Israel and an astute observer of events since October 7, “In brief, Israel seems to have no political plan and a very hazardous military one. It can only blame itself—not least Netanyahu, but also the military leadership—for having arrived at this point.”
In terms of costs and munitions, Washington, not Israel, is the main combatant against Gaza. On December 1 The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has sent Israel 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells.
Ever since Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, the group has only gained in popularity in Gaza and in the West Bank, as Palestinians see the group as the only legitimate power to stand up against Israel’s oppression.
Bookings for international air travel fell 20 percent below 2019 levels in the three weeks following Hamas’s attack on Israel, according to travel data service ForwardKeys.
The Israel-Hamas war has had catastrophic impacts on Israel’s $488-billion economy, with 350,000 military reservists—about 8 percent of the country’s workforce and a large share of the retail customer base—called into service.
A leaked State Department memo from mid-level diplomats called on the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and that the U.S. should be able to publicly criticize the country’s bombing campaign in Gaza that has killed over 10,000—mainly women and children.
Mainstream media and official government commentary on the violence in Gaza appears to have acquired a certain rhythm to make sure that everyone understands that it is the poor Israelis who are the real victims being assailed by a group called Hamas that is invariably labeled as “terrorists.”
Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, gave a televised speech on Friday—his first since the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel—and warned Israel that it is just a matter of time before it faces a muli-front conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was facing mounting pressure due to his push for a sweeping judicial overhaul in Israel, was told repeatedly that a major attack was looming but brushed off the warnings for the months before the 7 October Hamas attack.
Palestinians in the West Bank have reported a major increase in Jewish “settler” violence after the 7 October Hamas attack, and Israeli forces, who are supposed to protect them, have turned a blind eye.