It is impossible to imagine the torment endured by those taken hostage by Hamas – a terror group who gleefully use murder, rape, torture, and violence against innocent people.
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will see 33 surviving hostages released and a phased withdrawal of Israel Defence Forces (IDF) from parts of Gaza. These hostages include children. The fact that Hamas chose not to release the youngsters they abducted from Israel very early on in the last 15 months speaks volumes.
Israel will release between 1,000 and 1,700 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Whatever your view, there is one thing we can all agree on – it is shocking it has taken this long for a ceasefire to be reached.
Critics of Israel have spent months wringing their hands over the military pounding of Gaza and claiming Israel’s response to the terror attack was a gross overreaction. They would not have the same view about any other nation.
Much has been made of the IDF targeting and searching civilian neighbourhoods, including hospitals and schools, yet it appears Hamas had no issue with using these buildings to hide fighters and store weapons. Footage in the last 24 hours appears to show Hamas fighters emerging from civilian areas to celebrate the ceasefire – which once again justifies the decision to search these areas.
A peace deal could have been reached much earlier. There is no doubt that President-elect Donald Trump’s comments about reaching an agreement will have focused minds.
The United Nations has behaved appallingly. The recent call by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, for a global medical boycott of Israel is not just outrageous, but a clear indication that when it comes to Israel, the UN is a biased activist. Let us not forget that thousands of Palestinian patients are treated in Israeli hospitals every year.
With January 27 being Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the UN and others should be ashamed over their recent comments about Israel and its Jewish population.
The ceasefire is fragile, but it must endure.
Will we see an end to the pro-Palestinian marches in London? I doubt it. To me their agenda has always been to destroy Israel as opposed to anything to do with peace.
- Duncan Barkes is a political commentator. Follow him on X/Twitter: @DuncanBarkes
