President Trump is demanding that Gaza release all Israeli hostages:
In response, Hamas said that it would release hostages in return for a release of Arab criminals by Israel, and withdrawal of Israel from Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu dismissed that response as “more spin by Hamas, containing nothing new.”
There are reports that the final battle may be at hand. I hope so. In my opinion, Israel has erred from the beginning by being too gentle with Gaza. This war should have been over a long time ago.
Of course, most of the world doesn’t see it that way. Thus, a film about the death of a six-year-old Arab girl in Gaza has gotten a rapturous reception at the Venice Film Festival:
This is a furiously impassioned drama about the killing in Gaza in January last year of the six-year-old Hind Rajab. She was trapped inside a bullet-riddled Kia Picanto and hidden among the bodies of six dead family members while she maintained fitful phone contact with the emergency dispatchers of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
Now, in a movie that is backed by serious Hollywood players — Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix are among the producers — those phone calls have become the narrative and emotional backbone of a devastating description of Hind’s final hours.
The film received a 24-minute standing ovation. The London Times thinks it is important:
It is deliberately punishing material, channelled through unapologetic, galvanising film-making. Politicians should see it. Decision-makers should see it.
More than 1,000 similar movies could have been made about the Israeli victims of Gaza’s October 7 massacre, but no one in Hollywood seems interested.
I might agree, though, with the idea that decision-makers should see the Venice film: the leaders of Hamas and its funders in Qatar should see it, to remind themselves what a terrible mistake it was to start this war.
It isn’t clear what happened to Hind Rajab. The IDF initially said that they didn’t have any troops operating in the area, and I haven’t seen any follow-up. But to me, that is mostly irrelevant. Once Gaza started the war, it was a given that there would be casualties.
What did Gazans think would happen? Did they expect Israel to say: “We are unhappy that you murdered, tortured and raped more than 1,000 of our citizens, but because urban warfare always entails casualties, we aren’t going to do anything about it. So go ahead and murder our hostages, parade our people through your streets and celebrate your victory. We won’t do anything to stop you.”
No: if that is what Gazans thought, it was an unrealistic expectation. They sowed the wind and they reaped the whirlwind. Gazans have no one to blame but themselves for the fate of children like Hind Rajab. But even today, Gaza does not resemble Berlin or Hiroshima in 1945. The Israelis, as I said, have been gentle; Gazans have not gotten what they deserve. But perhaps the final battle is about to begin. I hope so.
