TWO months after a ceasefire temporarily suspended their slaughter, the people of Gaza once again confronted genocidal Israeli violence early on Tuesday. Over 400 Palestinians have been killed in the latest Israeli atrocities, many of them women and children, and chances of the truce’s survival are very slim.

Tel Aviv’s troops may reportedly return to the devastated Strip, and though Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions have not yet retaliated, if Israel continues its butchery, any chances of a renewed ceasefire will vaporise. After all, the Israeli prime minister has indicated that the latest phase of violence may be open-ended, and with the US administration firmly backing the slaughter, a return to relative calm seems impossible.

There were always doubts about Israel’s sincerity towards long-term peace with the Palestinians in general, and Gaza in particular. While the ceasefire held for two months, in the last few weeks Israel had stopped all aid from entering the Strip. Hamas wanted discussions about a long-term truce and a full Israeli withdrawal, but Tel Aviv insisted all the remaining hostages be released first.

It is safe to say that these were ruses, and Israel was waiting for an excuse to restart the massacre. If it had been serious about the welfare of its hostages, the Israeli government would have taken many earlier chances to stop fighting and bring back its people alive. But the extermination of the Palestinian people seemed to be Tel Aviv’s primary objective, one that it has again begun to pursue with vigour as the violence unleashed on Tuesday shows.

Looking ahead, it appears that the Palestinian people will again be left defenceless in the face of merciless brutality. Moreover, the US has begun threatening Palestinian allies, indicating that the conflict may once again spread to the far corners of the Middle East. Over the past few days, Washington had bombed Yemen ostensibly to target the pro-Iran Houthi movement, which had enforced a blockade in the Red Sea before the Gaza ceasefire in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Over 50 people died in the Yemen attacks, including civilians. American President Donald Trump has also threatened to hold Iran responsible for “every shot fired by the Houthis”.

It seems that the isolationist MAGA wing has been drowned out by the warmongering neocon and Zionist factions of Mr Trump’s support base, and he may be preparing to take his nation into a fresh Middle East conflagration, all in the defence of Israel. While efforts should be made to restore the Gaza ceasefire and calm regional tensions, it appears that Tel Aviv and Washington are not in the mood for peace. Before the ceasefire, a greater Middle East conflict was narrowly averted; this time we may not be so lucky.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2025