‘Civilian Deaths In Gaza Sad, But What’s The Other Option?

As Israel’s war in Gaza following the October 7 attack by Hamas enters its third month, the public perception in favour of Israel appears to be shifting as Hamas releases pictures of dead and maimed victims — mostly children and elderly Palestinian civilians – killed in the relentless Israeli attacks.

Undeterred, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen has vowed that the war will continue with or without international support until Hamas is destroyed and the last of the Israeli hostages are released.

In this episode of Talking Point, Marc Schulman, a Tel Aviv–based historian and journalist, explains what it will take for Israel to stop its war in Gaza, why it is ignoring repeated international calls for a ceasefire, and why the use of civilians as human shields by the Hamas will not deter the Israeli onslaught.

He also elaborates on the international implications of the war, which now involves Iran-backed Houthis and the Hezbollah in Lebanon threatening and attacking US and Israeli targets in the region. According to him, the international communities, including the US and India, are publicly calling for a ceasefire due to domestic political pressure, but privately they endorse Israel’s decision to erase a deadly terrorist organisation from the face of the Earth.

Watch the full interview to get a clear picture of the Israeli perspective of the war and the possible outcomes.