For a moment, a glimmer of hope flickered in Gaza as Palestinians took a stand against Hamas. While traveling in Israel and the West Bank—regions off-limits to foreign journalists in Gaza—the protests seemed to symbolize a potential shift, a break in the deadlock, a step forward. Sadly, these brave demonstrations have been violently quashed by Hamas, using chilling tactics like torture and even murder.
Despite conversations about potential ceasefire solutions, the prospects for a genuine, lasting peace resolution seem alarmingly distant. The reality is sobering; armed conflict appears inevitable. On Wednesday, Israel announced plans to escalate its military operations in Gaza, including taking control of significant territories.
Caught in this turmoil, the citizens of Gaza find themselves besieged by the unyielding stances of Hamas and the Israeli government. Both appear disturbingly indifferent to the plight of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages or, in Israel’s case, act with the backing of U.S. military support.
The situation is dire. According to the United Nations, Gaza now has the highest rate of child amputees worldwide. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed an initial ceasefire, despite the shared sentiment among both Israelis and Palestinians that the war’s conclusion is essential.
Without a transformative development—perhaps the removal of Hamas or Netanyahu—the conflict seems destined to grow further. “Israel might broaden its operations,” former Prime Minister Ehud Barak shared with me, though he doubts it will compel Hamas to negotiate. Concerned primarily about the hostile impact on captives, Barak cautioned that Israel risks repeating history’s grave blunders by fully reoccupying Gaza.
The U.S. lacks sway over Hamas, but our contribution of hefty 2,000-pound bombs for Netanyahu’s assault on urban landscapes gives us a rare leverage we aren’t using to halt this conflict. Instead, these American-made bombs lead to a tragic reality known in Gaza hospitals as “W.C.N.S.F.”—wounded child, no surviving family.
Dr. Sam Attar, an esteemed American surgeon and Northwestern University School of Medicine professor, has undertaken five medical missions to Gaza since the hostilities erupted. The tales he recounts are heartrending: a teenager whose life ended due to a shortage of blood, a young girl trapped under rubble alongside her deceased parents, and a young boy, only 13, with burns, searching for his lost family.
“In war, it’s these indelible psychic wounds that haunt generations,” Dr. Attar remarked. “We can sever limbs to save a life. But how do we mend a soul traumatized by loss? How does one console a child unearthed from debris beside her dead parents?”
For weeks, Israel has re-imposed a blockade on Gaza, exacerbating civilian hardships and, presumably, hostages’ misery. “All passageways into Gaza have been sealed for shipments since early March,” noted Tom Fletcher from the United Nations. “Supplies spoil, medicine loses potency, and crucial medical gear languishes at crossings.”
How does the U.S. confront this needless pain in Gaza, labeled by UNICEF as “the world’s most perilous place for children”? President Trump’s response was to send an additional arsenal to Israel and suggest the expulsion of Gazans—a grim echo of ethnic cleansing.
While Israelis rightly reel from the terror of October 7, 2023—an assault comparable to enduring a dozen 9/11-scale tragedies—residents of Gaza have, by such measures, suffered through over 2,200 similar nightmares.
Has there been any gain from this relentless bombing? Hamas’s forces have suffered, and Israel’s deterrence stands reaffirmed, yet neither reclaiming hostages nor eliminating Hamas has been realized. As U.S. evaluations indicate, Hamas regains fighters almost as quickly as they are lost.
Still, the war has kept Netanyahu in power, a circumstance that suits his interests even as most Israelis demand a resolution that frees hostages and ends hostilities. In Gaza, Hamas is seen more concerned with power retention than Palestinian well-being.
Faced with leaders willing to sacrifice their own, nobody wins. I once visited Gaza regularly before this conflict erupted and witnessed Hamas’s oppressive governance up close. Many Gazans disapproved, frustrated by the governance they endured, so watching some now rallying to their cause is bewildering.
Conversely, Americans’ empathy swelled for the 1,200 Israeli victims of the Hamas assault but often overlooks the staggering toll of 50,000 Gazans lost, as reported by their health ministry. Defense Minister Israel Katz grimly warns of “the gates of hell” for Gaza unless hostages are liberated, intending seizure of land. Is such a cause one the U.S. should arm with its resources?
The tragedy continues—280 United Nations staff and over 150 journalists have perished. This week, the United Nations reported recovering the bodies of 15 aid workers, all killed while providing urgent assistance.
Are these outcomes the worthy objective of American weaponry?
It’s noteworthy that various Israeli civil society groups and prominent security figures have boldly criticized their country’s policies in Gaza. Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has spoken against potential war crimes and acts of ethnic cleansing. Ami Ayalon, ex-chief of Shin Bet, has publicly denounced Israel’s tactics as unjust.
From my perspective, while Hamas and Israel do not mirror each other morally, an equal value must be placed on the lives of children everywhere, whether Israeli, Palestinian, or American. It’s concerning that Netanyahu, motivated by political maneuvering, seems primed to use U.S.-provided arms, further claiming countless young lives.
For what should all these futures be forfeited?
