The brutality of Israel’s assault on Gaza and the failure to secure the release of the October 7 hostages have left the Israeli prime minister with few friends domestically or internationally.
Recognition of Palestinian statehood was previously held out as an incentive to completing peace negotiations. But that’s changed now, and New Zealand should consider changing its position too.
The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court publicized his request for warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. Publicly, Canada’s position aligns with Israel and the United States.
Israelis’ and Jewish people’s long-held feeling of persecution, dating back to biblical times, contributes to most Israelis’ desire to continue the war in Gaza.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is opposed to a two-state solution, but many ordinary Israelis and Palestinians don’t feel the same way.
Though the move by the ICC chief prosecutor is a significant one, it’s very unlikely the Israeli or Palestinian leaders will be arrested or face a trial.
Diplomatic pressure, rising military casualties and the problem of Israeli hostages in Gaza have not deterred Netanyahu from ordering an offensive on Rafah.
The longer the war drags on, the more it has highlighted the fact that Israel has no long-term strategy for living side-by-side with its Palestinian neighbours.
The US put a pause on an arms shipment to Israel as it launched a Rafah offensive. This is not the first time the US and Israel have publicly disagreed, despite their strong diplomatic relationship.
The US is redoubling its efforts to complete construction of an aid pier off the coast of Gaza, but with road crossings closed, this will not be enough.
Israel’s latest missile strike on Iran may be more a face-saving exercise aimed at satisfying members of its coalition government than a true escalation of hostilities.
How far the violent exchanges between Israel and Iran will escalate may well hinge on how strong the two sides’ leader need to appear to their own people.